Governor Vs CM: Congress seeks intervention by PM, President in Kerala

The Congress in Kerala on Saturday demanded immediate intervention of the Prime Minister or the President in the ongoing tiff between State Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

State Congress president K.Sudhakaran told the media in Alappuzha that all levels of decency has been breached in the war of words between the two 'heads' of the state.

"Things have reached a low and all what we hear is the tiff between the two is akin to two groups of youth taking on each other. It's high time that either the president or the prime minister intervened. Also the point raised by the Governor that there has been a threat to his life has to be taken very seriously," said Sudhakaran.

Khan has been taking on the Vijayan government and his party frequently, but it was on Friday night for the first time that Vijayan broke his silence and slammed Khan saying that his utterances does not befit the post he holds terming it "nonsense".

Backing Vijayan was CPI-M state secretary M.V.Govindan who slammed Khan and said he is deeply upset because he was expecting "something" which he did not get and hence was upset.

"It's now being doubted by many if Khan is functioning according to the rule book. He is taking cover under the media and uttering things which he should not. Now he says his life came under threat at the Indian History Congress in the company of renowned historian Irfan Habib who conspired,is really not tenable," said Govindan.

Left Democratic Front convenor and veteran CPI-M leader E.P.Jayarajan said the post of the Governor should be abolished.

"Vijayan is one Communists who calls a spade a spade and always tells things on the face. He is not one who plays behind the curtain. So Khan stops engaging in things which lowers his status," said Jayarajan.

However, coming to Khan's defence was BJP Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.Muraleedharan who said there is no point in Vijayan trying to air threats against Khan.

"If he does it, then he doesn't know who Khan is. Khan is just taking forward the policy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fight against corruption. Vijayan can do all such acts in his party committee's and it would be best if he keeps Raj Bhavan out," said Muraleedharan.

--IANS

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