Published Sep 17, 2022 | 12:25 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 17, 2022 | 2:25 PM
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. (South First)
In a no-holds-barred attack on Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, who cast aspersions on him for the controversial appointment of his private secretary KM Ragesh’s wife Priya Varghese as an associate professor at Kannur University, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday, 16 September, called him a man of nonsense.
“No man can say far greater nonsense than him,” was the response of Vijayan when reporters solicited his response to the Governor’s earlier remark: “It would be unbelievable that the chancellor of the university is being told to appoint wife of the chief minister’s personal staff without the knowledge or consent of the chief minister.”
Though the Governor was highly critical of the state’s LDF government and its policies for quite a long time, the chief minister has remained cautious while responding to the criticisms. He was also keen to avoid a direct confrontation.
But at Friday’s press conference, Vijayan responded harshly to questions referring to the Governor. “Your statements must befit the position you are holding,” he said in a statement directed at Khan.
“Why is he not aware of individuals’ rights and liberties? Relatives of the personal staff of the chief minister, too, have individual liberties. Like others, these individuals have every right and freedom to apply to notified posts. If one such individual feels he or she is qualified for a particular job, the aspirant is well within his or her rights to apply for the post,” Vijayan asserted.
“Will anyone in their right senses think that she, being a relative of the chief minister’s personal staff, should secure the chief minister’s permission? Can anyone who has any idea how the country works think like this? See the kind of nonsense he spews out,” he added.
The chief minister said if there was a problem in the selection, the Governor and others could have pointed that out. “We will not stand in the way,” he said.
He said the Governor had no right to infringe upon the rights of others. “What right does he have to say that someone related to the chief minister’s staff should not apply? Who gave him this right?” asked a visibly angry Vijayan.
He also wanted to know what made the Governor say that the CPI(M) believed in physical force and threats. “Did he have any such experience?” he asked.
Vijayan also asked whether all the country’s political achievements made by the CPI(M) were the result of force and threats. “Is this (Governor’s post) a platform from where anything can be said? Has he thought of the Governor’s post in such a way?” he asked.
The Chief Minister laughed at the Governor’s disapproval of posters of Left-affiliated teachers’ and students’ unions on university campuses.
“I just can’t understand what is happening to this man,” he said with a laugh. “What is he trying to say? Does he intend to ban the activities of such organisations?”
He added: “Where else should these organisations carry out their work? Should they take these posters to the Raj Bhavan? He can ask them to leave if they have done that. But if he has any intention of suppressing their activities within their sphere of work, I don’t intend to say anything more.”
Vijayan added: “He should realise that such comments do not reflect a mature mind.”
On a serious note, Vijayan said there were enough mechanisms within the Constitution to settle any differences between Constitutional authorities. “Instead, if you think showing off in front of television cameras is the best way to sort out issues, we can only say that it is not what the Constitution says,” the chief minister said.
And then, on a light, sarcastic note, he explained why he had remained silent till now. “We remained silent spectators thinking that if such comments would bring someone some good, let them be. But we have not seen even this happen,” Vijayan said.
