Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan fired the latest salvo in Raj Bhavan’s protracted legal and political battle with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government by accusing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of shirking his Constitutional duty of briefing the head of the State.
Interacting with journalists on October 2, Mr. Khan said Mr. Vijayan “does not come to Raj Bhavan.” Instead, the government despatches Cabinet Ministers and officials. “It is the Constitutional duty of the Chief Minister to keep me informed regularly,” said Mr. Khan.
Last Wednesday, the government upped the ante in the increasingly rancorous and public conflict with Raj Bhavan by petitioning the Supreme Court against Mr. Khan’s “stonewalling” of the legislative process by “inordinately” withholding assent to Bills passed by the Kerala Assembly.
