Governor Arif Mohammad Khan courted a fresh controversy on Thursday by terming a resolution passed by a special session of the Assembly demanding the Centre to rescind the Citizenship (Amendment) Act ‘unconstitutional and legally tenuous.’
After inaugurating a national conference on Vedas here, Mr. Khan, while interacting with reporters, said citizenship was an issue that fell within the ambit of the Central government and hence the State had no role in it. Hence the resolution was inconsequential.
Mr. Khan said the resolution was passed as per the recommendations of the Indian History Congress held in Kannur recently. This had a criminal ingredient.
But Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the resolution was in order and the Assembly reserved the right to pass such a resolution. The Assembly had passed similar resolutions earlier too, he said.
The Governor’s opinion is set to draw flak of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) that had unanimously passed the resolution moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Assembly.
Cong. opposition
Senior Congress leaders in the State have come out strongly against the Governor. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy urged the Chief Minister to rein in the Governor if he was crossing the limits. The Governor should examine whether he had the right to snub a resolution unanimously adopted by the Assembly. He would get respect only if he maintained decorum conforming his post.
K. Muraleedharan, MP, who led a long march at Kuttiyadi , said that the Governor should resign. If the Governor did not step down he would not be allowed to move freely on the roads in the State. Mr. Khan was behaving like a BJP agent and that he deserved not to be addressed as Governor, he said.
