Any government is bound to follow the Supreme Court judgment, outgoing Kerala Governor Justice P Sathasivam said on Wednesday, during his farewell. He was responding to a question on the state government’s stand on Sabarimala, after the Supreme Court lifted a previous ban on women, aged 10 to 50, entering the Lord Ayyappa Temple. This had led to a lot of controversy in the state with a section of people opposing the judgment, and outraged over the state government implementing it.
“If anyone is aggrieved, an individual or a political party, they are free to approach the SC. It is not proper on my part to make any comment on this now since I am a Governor till tomorrow (Thursday) and the case is still sub-judice. After my retirement on September 5, I may respond,” he said.
Sathasivam, who has been Kerala Governor for the last five years, spoke on the powers of a Governor and the independence of the judiciary. He has earlier served as Chief Justice of India.
When he was asked about the Centre interfering with the Governor's functions, Sathasivam said the Governor does not function as an agent of the Centre.
“Last two days, I noticed newspapers writing about the Honorary Governor in Jammu and Kashmir. Since there is no elected government, the Governor is the head. He has to make a statement informing the public. No one can go against the Constitution. I don't think the central government pressurises the Governor to do something. The Governor is a silent entity,” he said.
The former CJI said that the judiciary is functioning independently. “During much of my tenure, there were not many controversies. I don't think these recent developments can be called a controversy. Media persons try to create controversy,” he said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan later posted a picture of sending off the outgoing Governor at the Thiruvananthapuram airport. After retirement, the former CJI said he will return to his village in Tamil Nadu and start farming.
Rajiv Gandhi detractor and former Union Minister, Arif Mohammad Khan, would take charge as the new Governor of Kerala.