Arif Muhammad Khan, Governor of Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram: The conflict between the Chief Minister and the Governor of Kerala is intensifying, with letters flying back and forth. In response to the remarks made in a letter sent by the Governor yesterday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has expressed his protest. The Chief Minister stated that suggesting he has something to hide is an unnecessary comment. However, the Governor, Arif Muhammad Khan, questioned why the Chief Minister did not inform him if the hawala dealings related to gold smuggling in Malappuram were linked to anti-national activities. The Governor also referred to the Chief Minister’s interview with The Hindu newspaper.
The Chief Minister asserted that the remark about having something to hide was unwarranted and emphasized that he was registering a strong protest. He noted that the Governor’s letter, dated October 3, was based on the interview. However, the newspaper itself clarified that the remarks attributed to him were not stated by the Chief Minister. In this context, the Chief Minister responded that there was no point in discussing matters that were not mentioned.
The question arises: should one trust the Chief Minister or The Hindu in the PR controversy? If the newspaper is lying, why has no case been filed against them?, the Governor asked and he has clarified to the media that the Chief Minister has a constitutional obligation to explain.
Meanwhile, in a letter sent to the Governor, the Chief Minister stated that there had been no intentional lapse in informing the Governor about the matters. He also mentioned that the state has taken necessary measures to combat gold smuggling. Furthermore, he pointed out that the central government holds greater responsibility in this matter and urged the Governor to request the central authorities to effectively implement actions against gold smuggling.
The Governor had demanded that the Chief Secretary and the DGP provide clarifications on issues related to gold smuggling. The government’s refusal to comply with this demand led the Governor to send a strongly worded letter to the Chief Minister on Tuesday, accusing him of having something to hide regarding gold smuggling.
