Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has sought a report from the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for moving the Supreme Court against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) without informing him. The office of Raj Bhavan sought the report from the Chief Secretary of the state, Tom Jose.
“The Governor's office has sought a report from the Chief Secretary for not informing him about the state's move to approach the apex court against the CAA," a top source from Raj Bhavan told PTI on Sunday.
It was last week that the state government moved SC, challenging the controversial legislation, which, according to critics, is discriminatory towards Indian Muslims when viewed with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).
In its plea, the Kerala government has asked the Supreme Court to pass a judgment declaring CAA as violative of Articles 14 (Right to equality), 21 (Right to life and personal liberty), and Article 25 (Freedom of religion) of the Constitution, and violative of the basic structure and principles of secularism.
The Governor has been at loggerheads with the government ever since the state Assembly passed a resolution last month, seeking to scrap the new law. Khan had also publicly expressed his displeasure over the government not informing him before moving the Supreme Court against the CAA.
Left leaders slam Governor
Meanwhile, CPI(M) leaders have come out strongly against the Governor, slamming him for criticising the government.
“All governors in India are related to RSS and they are also under the influence of the RSS. All political parties should understand this,” said Industries Minister EP Jayarajan on Sunday. He also added that “certain things said and done under the siege of hatred towards the Left will fall as damage to the country itself”.
CPI(M) state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also slammed the Governor, saying that he is making unnecessary statements and interventions against the state government to appease the Centre. “A Governor's position is not to humiliate the state government and Assembly chosen by the people. The present Governor is forgetting this,” Kodiyeri wrote in Deshabhimani daily, the CPI(M) mouthpiece, on Sunday.
These criticisms come just a day after Minister for Law AK Balan stated that the state government will take measures to solve the apprehensions of the Governor. However, he had also stated that there are no laws that cite the state government should take permission before moving to SC.
“If only there is a clash with the Centre over any issue, the state government is required to inform the Governor. But here, there is no place for any clash. We have only filed a civil suit in the SC, asking it to declare the legislation as violative of certain articles of the Constitution,” said AK Balan on Saturday.