Kerala Guv Arif Mohammed Khan faces Opposition ire

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid a high voltage protest and boycott by the opposition Congress-led UDF, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Wednesday presented his policy address in the assembly and read out references to anti-Citizenship Amendment Act resolution passed by the house, despite disagreeing with it. Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said that he was not affected by the opposition Congress-led UDF protest against him in Assembly. The Governor told reporters that he had seen even bigger protests while he was a member of Legislative Assembly.

The next big political attack against him is coming up in the form of opposition Congress resolution to seek Khan’s recall.

The notice given to Speaker for moving the resolution will come up before Assembly Business Advisory Committee meeting on Friday.

Though the Speaker had pointed out on Tuesday that the notice was admissible, the final decision on resolution will depend on the stand to be taken by the Chief Minister who is also the leader of the House.

Meanwhile, parliamentary affairs minister A K Balan criticised the opposition legislators for attempting to block Governor in House.

“Such actions were being done by the opposition out of desperation. The UDF will lose its mass support if it continues with such antics,” he said.

The Governor expressing his disagreement before reading out the paragraph on CAA issue was just a formality. It will not go on record of the House, he added.
Reading out the anti-CAA stand of the state government, the Governor said, “Our citizenship can never be on the basis of religion as this goes against the grain of secularism which is part of the basic structure of our constitution.”

Referring to the unanimous anti-CAA resolution passed by the assembly, Khan, who has been at loggerheads with the state government for moving the Supreme court against the law and the resolution against it, said the government believes the Act “goes against the cardinal principles” underlying the Constitution.

“Strong states and strong centre are pillars of our federalism. The voices of genuine apprehension of the states need to be considered by the central government in the right spirit keeping broad national interest in mind, particularly when constitutional values are involved and there are widespread anxieties and apprehensions among a large number of our citizenry,” he said.