In a strongly worded statement issued by the Kerala Raj Bhavan condemned the actions of Education and Labour Minister V Sivankutty, calling his abrupt walkout from a Raj Bhavan event a “gross violation of protocol” and a “grave insult” to the office of the Governor. The incident occurred during a Scouts and Guides award ceremony held in the presence of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, where a portrait of Bharat Mata was displayed on stage.
According to the official press note issued by the Raj Bhavan, Minister Sivankutty left the dais without informing the Governor, violating established decorum. The Governor, as the constitutional head of the state, presides over such functions, and all those sharing the dais are required by protocol to remain until he exits. The Minister’s disregard for this convention was described as “a public display of misconduct” and “an unprecedentedly wrong precedent.”
Kerala: CPI(M) Minister Sivankutty sparks row by walking out from Raj Bhavan over Bharat Mata image, lamp lighting
By: Vishnu Aravind#Kerala #CPIM @VSivankuttyCPIM https://t.co/fhDDf1Zon8
— Organiser Weekly (@eOrganiser) June 19, 2025
The press note further criticised the Minister for arriving at the event with a prepared speech, implying premeditation and deliberate provocation. “It is a pity that the Education Minister of the state admitted to the audience that the portrait of Bharatamba is not familiar to him,” the statement read, highlighting what it saw as an alarming disconnect from national symbols.
Of particular concern to Raj Bhavan was the setting in which this political protest unfolded. The event was meant to honour disciplined Scouts and Guides, many of whom were visibly disheartened by the Minister’s actions. “Thereby, the Minister has insulted the students as well, apart from setting a wrong model before the students,” the release stated.
The Minister’s protest, which he justified as opposition to the use of Bharat Mata’s image and the ceremonial lamp lighting at a government event, has been widely criticised as a violation of the spirit of public office. The Minister maintained that the depiction of Bharat Mata, particularly with a saffron flag, does not represent the constitutional idea of India. However, Raj Bhavan categorically rejected the implication that there was any wrongdoing in displaying the image, asserting that “” there is no question of doing away with Bharat Mata, as we draw our idea of patriotism and nationhood from Bharat Mata”.
There is no question of doing away with Bharathamba: Governor
The Hon’ble Governor of Kerala Shri Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said that there is no question of doing away with Bharat Mata, as we draw our idea of patriotism and nationhood from Bharat Mata. pic.twitter.com/yEae8qEtbQ— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) June 19, 2025
This is not the first time the Communist-led Kerala government has courted controversy over the Bharat Mata image. In a similar incident last year, Kerala Agriculture Minister P. Prasad boycotted an Environment Day event at the Raj Bhavan after objecting to a portrait of Bharatamba (Bharat Mata) displayed on the stage.
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