Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stating that Finance Minister KN Balagopal ”ceased to enjoy pleasure”.
In his letter to the Chief Minister, the Governor asked Vijayan to consider the matter with the seriousness it deserves and take action which is constitutionally appropriate.
Citing media reports of Balagopal’s speech at a University campus here on October 19, “which seeks to the fire of regionalism and provincialism and if allowed to go unchecked they may have an erosive and baneful influence on our national unity and integrity” and the Governor was left with no option but to convey that the Finance Minister has “ceased to enjoy my pleasure”.
“Reported statements of Kerala FM KN Balagopal are a violation of the oath I had administered to him. A minister who deliberately violates the oath and undermines the unity and integrity of India can’t continue to enjoy my pleasure,” said Kerala Governor.
“In these circumstances, I’m left with no option but to convey that KN Balagopal has ceased to enjoy my pleasure. I hope that you consider the matter with the seriousness it deserves and take action which is constitutionally appropriate,” he said in a letter to CM.
The Governor said that the remarks of Finance Minister KN Balagopal seek to create a wedge between Kerala and other States of the Indian Union and project a false impression as if the different States of India have different systems of higher education.
Khan said that although others like Education Minister and Law Minister have indulged in attacks on him, but he wishes to ignore them as they hurt him personally.
“But if I do not take cognizance of the seditious remarks of KN Balagopal, it would be a grave omission of duty on my part. The comments of the Finance Minister challenge not only the national unity and integrity but also the Constitutional Convention that makes it necessary that the Governor of each state shall be from outside the State,” said Khan.
He said that it is pathetic to see that Balagopal, is totally ignorant of the great legacy of Kerala, which has played an extremely important role in building Indian Unity.
Earlier attacking the Kerala Finance Minister, the Governor had said, “Finance minister whose main source of revenue is alcohol and lottery, is raising the question whether the governor who is from UP can understand the Kerala education system… But I would advise him that don’t make the same comment about the judges of SC”
“Yesterday they (SC) gave a judgement against your appointment of VC of Kerala Technical University…If you say that these judges are from Maharashtra and Assam and they do not understand the education system in Kerala, then you will land yourself in trouble,” Khan had said. (ANI)
