Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad boycotted an event at the Raj Bhavan after a portrait of Bharatamba (Bharat Mata) was placed on the stage. The Minister abstained from the Environment Day event, objecting to the depiction of Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag.
Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar firmly stated that the Raj Bhavan would determine the content of programs conducted within its premises. He questioned why the portrait of Bharat Mata should be changed and insisted it would remain as is. Following this, the state government cancelled the program.
The portrait of Bharat Mata and the singing of the national anthem has been made mandatory for events held in the Central Hall of the Raj Bhavan. Despite the government’s objections, the Governor maintained that the image would not be altered. As a result, the official program was cancelled.
Minister Prasad was originally scheduled to chair the event, which was to be inaugurated by the Governor P Prashanth MLA had been invited as the keynote speaker. The Minister’s objection was that the image used was not the one typically seen in public events but one associated with RSS functions.
After the Raj Bhavan program was cancelled, the Agriculture Department shifted its Environment Day celebrations to the Durbar Hall. Meanwhile, the Raj Bhavan went ahead with its own World Environment Day program. Governor Arlekar inaugurated the ‘Sindoor’ parade and officially launched the celebration.
The Minister is facing widespread criticism. Prajna Pravah National Coordinator J Nandakumar has responded to the controversy, saying, “Patriots will always revere Bharat Mata, while traitors chant ‘Jai Pakistan’. Despite a boycott by communal appeasement activists, the Environment Day celebration at Kerala Raj Bhavan was conducted with dignity and on time, featuring a Bharat Mata Puja led by the Honourable Governor”.
