Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said on Monday that he was not satisfied with the explanation given by the chief secretary on the Pinarayi-led Left government moving the Supreme Court against the Citizenship law without informing him.
“No explanation can satisfy me,” the Governor told reporters here this evening.
“My view is that approval is needed. They [the state] have gone to the Supreme Court without informing me. That is an unlawful act. Not legally correct,” Khan added.
Chief Secretary Tom Jose met the Governor on Monday, a day after the latter sought a report from the Left government over moving the apex court against the Citizenship Amendment Act without informing him.
Khan, who has been at loggerheads with the Kerala government, had said that he "will not remain a mute spectator”. He also added that CAA was not a state subject and urged the state to understand its “own jurisdiction”.
Khan said people can be adamant about their opinion but cannot go beyond the boundary of law.
The chief secretary was summoned to give a report in the wake of Kerala Law Minister AK Balan's efforts to diffuse the tension between Khan and the Pinarayi government. Balan maintained that the LDF government's decision to approach the court against the controversial CAA was in accordance with Article 131 of the constitution.
With the governor scheduled to deliver the customary address to the Kerala Legislative Assembly later this month, the state government is likely to soften its aggressive stand towards him over his backing of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Protests and demonstrations have engulfed the country since the introduction of the citizenship bill. Some of them had turned violent last month. Major political parties have opposed it saying the law is discriminatory.
However, the central government maintains that the law – which grants citizenship to religious minorities escaping persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh – does not take away anyone's citizenship.
(With inputs from PTI)
