Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan stayed away from a commemoration programme for former Chief Minister K Karunakaran.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala wrote to the Governor’s office asking him not to attend the function as the latter demanded a written request.
The commemoration meeting for the leader, a doyen of Kerala politics, was held in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday evening.
Both the Congress and the Left strongly criticised the Governor for supporting the Citizenship Amendment Act, with the Congress saying the Governor had ‘stooped to the level of a BJP spokesperson’. K Muraleedharan, Vadakara MP and son of K Karunakaran, also attacked the Governor ‘for not acting with the dignity that the post demands’. He had also said that if the Governor continues to justify the Citizenship Amendment Act, they would be prompted to consider boycotting him.
Speaking at a function held in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday morning, Muraleedharan also said that the invitation for the commemoration meeting had been sent to the Governor long back but added that his stand under the changed circumstances was conveyed to the party leadership.
“As invited by Ramesh Chennithala, Opposition Leader, Kerala Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan was to inaugurate Commemoration of Late K Karunanakaran, Ex Kerala CM and INC India leader at 4 pm. But today, office of Chennithala requested the Governor not to attend,” the office of the Governor tweeted.
As invited by Sh.RameshChennithala, Opposition Leader,Hon'ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan was to inaugurate Commemoration of Late K Karunakaran, Ex Kerala CM & @INCIndia Leader at 4pm, 23Dec. But, today,office of Sh. @chennithala requested Hon'ble Governor NOT to attend pic.twitter.com/aCf0r7C4aO
— Kerala Governor (@KeralaGovernor) December 23, 2019
“Governor is a constitutional post and should be above all petty politics. He should be independent of all political bias and should refrain from commenting on such issues,” KPCC President Mullappally Ramachandran told TNM.
“Our democracy allows freedom of speech and right to dissent and protest peacefully. But democracy requires room for debate as well. We may firmly adhere to our views, but need not shut the door to opinions different from ours. However, I have respect for all who differ with me and I again extend an invitation to them to Raj Bhavan for discussion. And for this purpose, if they invite me again, I shall respond positively – said honourable Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said,” reads another tweet from his office.
The Congress-led Opposition in the state said that the BJP was trying to present a “distorted” version of history.
Arif Khan in a speech on ‘Citizenship, institutional and civilisational’ in Delhi on Saturday said that the Congress had “committed itself in 1947 to accept” the people who have already fled Pakistan and who are likely to flee because their lives and honour were in danger.
Justifying the CAA, the Governor also indirectly blamed the Congress for protesting a law meant to provide citizenship to persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.