THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Hitting out at Arif Muhammad Iqbal’s controversial address at Kannur recently, CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said, the conduct of Kerala Governor does not befit the high office he is positioned in. There is utter disregard for the norms associated with the constitutional post, Kodiyeri slammed.
At the Indian History Congress held in Kannur, which saw world-renowned historians arrive as delegates, the Governor Arif Muhammad Khan had put aside the prepared speech and read out his political script on CAA.
Inability to put away politics, owing to career as MP at an young age, is immature attitude to display now, said Kodiyeri. The Governor should be able to see that his present position calls for constitutional approach, not politics of yesteryears, Kodiyeri said. Every citizen is entitled with right to political activism. If discomforted by the limitations of the present post, one must resign to plunge into fulltime politics, he added.
The Governor’s attempt to justify the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) sounded more like a BJP politician than a constitutional head. Protests are being held across the country to oppose the first-ever law, which bases religion as parameter to confer citizenship.
The Supreme Court has issued notice to the Centre on scores of pleas challenging the constitutionality of the law. And the right to decide, if the law’s constitutionality, rests with the Supreme Court alone. The Governor has no powers vested in him, to decide on the issue. Neither is the Governor entrusted with political propaganda of the Centre’s policies.
Significantly, though also appointed by BJP government, the previous governor conducted himself in keeping with the dignity of the high office. The present governor should be willing to takes cues from that stint. Sakaria Commission makes it clear that, governors should distance themselves from regional politics.
The misuse of this post for narrow political interests began with Congress. BJP bolstered that trend and used Governors to seize power in Goa followed by north-eastern states. Maharashtra and Karnataka, witnessed shameful levels, their governors stooped to, in order to retain power. The Kerala governor’s recent outburst resembles those abysmal standards.
Concluding his address in the capital, Kodiyeri said “ I request that the governor stand up to the dignity demanded by his high office. “
