Will set bad precedent: Kerala speaker rejects oppn resolution seeking governor’s recall

P Sreeramakrishnan said there was no such precedent and the business advisory committee of the house has also suggested that such a resolution will set a bad precedent.

Kerala legislative assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan on Friday rejected the notice given by the state’s opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala to introduce a resolution in the house urging President Ram Nath Kovind to recall Governor Arif Mohammad Khan.Sreeramakrishnan said there was no such precedent and the business advisory committee of the house has also suggested that such a resolution will set a bad precedent.

P Sreeramakrishnan (Photo: Facebook)

The opposition cried foul alleging that the government has entered into a secret understanding with the governor.

“It seems the government has virtually surrendered before the governor who insulted the house on several occasions,” Chennithala said deploring the Speaker’s decision.

Khan and the government have been at loggerheads for some time and the opposition tried to exploit it further by trying to introduce a resolution against him.

The Governor on Wednesday read the vision policy of the government in the assembly, including the paragraphs critical of the union government. He later said he not agree with the speech’s content and only read it in full as requested by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

“We want a healthy relationship with the governor. The opposition is trying to exploit the situation. Besides, there was no precedent that the house passing a resolution against the Governor,” said state law minister A K Balan.

He had said the resolution was unconstitutional and had no legal validity angering many legislators. He had also sought a report from the chief secretary over the government’s move to file a suit in the top court without informing him.