Opening a new front against the LDF government, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has, on Monday, warned Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and ministers in the state of removing them. He said if the individual ministers continue to lower the dignity of the office of the governor, he won’t hesitate to remove them from their positions.
The statement of the governor was posted on his official Twitter account by the public relation office (PRO) of the Raj Bhavan.
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The Raj Bhavan PRO, in a tweet reads: “Hon’ble Governor Sri Arif Mohammed Khan has said, ‘The CM and council of ministers have every right to advise the governor. But the statement of individual ministers that lower the dignity of the office of the Governor,can invite action, including withdrawal of pleasure.’”
It is being speculated that a statement of Higher Education Minister R Bindu that the governor had an RSS agenda has provoked the Khan. The relations between the governor and the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government has hit rock bottom after the governor refused to give assent to the University Amendment Bill and the Lok Ayukta Amendment Bill passed by the Assembly.
Earlier on Saturday, Governor Khan, in his capacity as chancellor of the university, has removed 15 members of the Kerala University Senate, who have been nominated by him as they abstained from the Senate meeting held on Friday to nominate a representative to the search committee to select the vice-chancellor for the university. Due to their abstention, the Senate meeting was adjourned for lack of quorum.
