Governor-Govt face off in Kerala over CAA all set to intensify

Thiruvananthapuram: The confrontation between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the ruling CPI (M)-led LDF and the Congress-driven opposition UDF in Kerala over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is likely to intensify in the coming days. The Government-Governor clash is likely to reach its climax later this month, when the state assembly meets with the customary Governor’s address to the house on its first sitting of the year.

The text of the address is prepared by the government and will be sent to the Governor for approval. In all probability, the text will have some sharp comments against CAA. It remains to be seen as whether the Governor will simply clear such a text or not? Or, will he choose to skip those portions which take a critical view of CAA when he reads out the address in the house? If does so, what will be the fall out? It will be interesting to wait and watch.

Unlike most of his predecessors in the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, who mostly preferred to confine themselves to their essentially ceremonious role, Governor Khan appears to have refused to totally shed his political persona. Even while maintaining a highly cultured and sophisticated tone in his public conduct, Khan has never minced words when it comes to his views and convictions over live issues.

His detractors hold that Khan, in the first place, has breached the widely-held notion that Governors are not supposed to air their views on contentious political issues. He not only defended the content of CAA but went on to justify his defence of the legislation. His stand was that as custodian of the Constitution, he is duty-bound to defend a legislation enacted by Parliament, and to which the President has given his assent.

If the legislation went against his conscience, he would not have remained in office for a moment, instead of defending that. He also alluded how he stood up against the official line of Congress when he was a member of the party in the Lok Sabha when the Rajiv Gandhi government overturned the apex court order in Shah Bano maintenance case through an act of parliament.

Khan’s first statements over CAA came in the form of cautioning the protesters against turning violent. He held that it was well within everybody’s right to stage protests in a democracy to express dissent, but that should be done in a non-violent manner.

The first stone at the governor was thrown by Congress leaders, who accused him of speaking like the spokesperson of the BJP government, rather than sticking to a politically neutral role, expected of the office he holds.

The state unit of the Congress even cancelled an invitation to him to be the chief guest at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee office on the party’s foundation day celebrations.

The left parties and some fringe groups, who have hit the street against CAA, soon followed suit. The social media overflowed with caustic comments against Khan. BJP leaders’ belated and enfeebled reaction against the attack on the governor was drowned in the cacophony.

The ire against the governor rose to its crescendo when several placard wielding delegates at the Indian History Congress’s (IHC) annual meet in Kannur shouted slogans against him in full media glare. Those who stood up and backed the protest included historian Irfan Habib, who was present on the stage. Having interrupted, Khan had to cut short his inaugural address to the meet and leave the podium.

Khan, however, did not remain silent to the misdemeanor of the organizers of the meet. He summoned the Vice-chancellor of the university that hosted the event, and asked him to hand over the CC TV footages of the spectacle. The Raj Bhavan circles later alleged that there was clear breach of protocol at the way the event was conducted, and allowed it to take a murky turn.

Declining to be overwhelmed by the political attack directed against him, Khan gave interviews to leading television channels, stoutly defending his position, without ever losing his cool and composure.

The convergence of the CPI (M) and Congress over the issue was in full display when the state assembly adopted a resolution stoutly denouncing CAA and urging the Centre to annul it since it went against the basics of the Constitution. It is rare for the bitter rivals in Kerala’s political context to come together on an issue.