'This is Kerala': CM Vijayan to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, accuses him of running 'parallel govt'

Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan said that Guv Arif Mohammed Khan fails to understand that there is an elected government here and a legislature above all that, he should understand that this is Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram: The war of words between Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan intensified on Wednesday with Vijayan asking the latter to "behave" and reminding that "this is Kerala". "Some (Governor) here are trying to run a parallel government here and are even directing the police on how to run their department. He says he will withdraw the pleasure towards the Ministers. What he fails to understand is that there is an elected government here and a legislature and above all that, he should understand that this is Kerala. He thinks all powers are vested with him and considers himself even above judiciary," Vijayan said while inaugurating a public meeting called by the Left Democratic Front at the auditorium at the state CPI-M headquarters here. 

He went on to add that it appears the Governor has an agenda. "Just look, several universities in the country are under the control of the RSS and a similar agenda is on the cards here and he wants to do the same here by placing RSS followers here," Vijayan said and sternly warned Khan that this is Kerala.

He said Khan is not performing his duties as a Governor and is not signing Bills which are sent to him. "There have been rulings from the Madras High Court on the responsibilities of the Governor," added Vijayan, and accused Khan of trying to create a scenario here which will enable the Centre to intervene.

Khan of late has been going hammer and tongs against the way Vijayan is running the higher education sector and first removed 15 nominated Senate members of the University of Kerala for not obeying his directions.

Then riding on a Supreme Court order which asked the Vice Chancellor of the Kerala Technological University to step down as rules were not followed in his appointment, Khan asked 10 other VCs to quit.

This irked the Vijayan government and following an intervention of the Kerala High Court, all the VCs have been given time till November 4 to reply to the show cause notice served by Khan as the Chancellor on why they should not be removed.

Khan is presently out of station and will return on Friday.