Alappuzha: Following Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his CPM government, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President K Sudhakaran on Monday demanded an impartial investigation into the matter.
Pointing out that the CPM government was notorious for silencing its opposition, Sudhakaran said the way the former carped about the affairs of Raj Bhavan was not in tune with the democratic functioning of a state. "How can someone threaten the Governor, the head of State? The entire administration is controlled by goons," Sudhakaran said.
Lending weight to the allegation that the state's universities are rife with nepotism, Sudhakaran said that the Chief Minister has committed a breach of oath and must not be allowed to continue.
Commenting on the 2019's heckling incident at Kannur University that Khan had raised during his press conference, Sudhakaran said that it was grave negligence on the part of the government for failing to arrest the protestors. "Nobody can threaten the Governor. It is a big crime that the police did not register a case for violence against the Governor. What kind of law and order exists in the state if even the Governor can be threatened?" Sudharkaran asked.
He said the Governor's statements also corroborate with the findings of Congress.
Sudhakaran also criticized the Governor for waiting until now to stand up against the CPM bravado.
Calling an unprecedented press conference at Raj Bhavan, Khan went over a slew of issues that plague Kerala.
Of them, the alleged nepotism in the state's universities holds special significance as it is over that row the relationship between the Governor and the government started to deteriorate.
Khan had stayed the appointment of the wife of KK Ragesh, the Chief Minister's private secretary, at Kannur University.
In response, the government had introduced a set of ordinances that sought to cull the powers of the Governor, who is also the Chancellor of state varsities.
However, Khan argued that the ordinances were a measure "to make legal the many illegalities that are happening in the universities".
He declined to sign them, alleging that Vijayan was a willing-spectator to the pillaging of universities for party gains. It was the first time that Khan took direct aim at Vijayan.
In a counter-punch, Vijayan lambasted Khan for hailing wild accusations against his government. He said Khan was not speaking in a manner that befits the office of the Governor.
There had also been allegations that the Governor was acting aggressively to please the BJP, hoping his CPM-baiting would win him a top Constitutional post.
