Chasm between Kerala Guv Arif Mohammed and CM Pinarayi Vijayan set to widen

After a brief pause, the dispute between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is likely to resurf with Congress leader Jyothikumar Chamakala approaching the Court

After a brief pause, the dispute between Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is likely to resurf with Congress leader Jyothikumar Chamakala approaching the Vigilance Court here seeking registration of case against the former for "misusing" his office.

The standoff between the two heads of the state had ended the other day with the chief minister slamming the Governor for functioning while ignoring the Constitutional powers vested with him.

Recently, Congress leader Chamakala approached the Vigilance Court here with a petition saying that since has openly admitted that Vijayan has misused his powers and sought the appointment of someone as the Kannur University vice-chancellor, it is a clear cut violation of his office and hence a case should be registered.

According to rules, in such cases, if a probe is not sought by the state, then it could be done by the appointing authority of the person against whom the case has been filed and Khan is the appointing authority of Vijayan.

With Vijayan in the dock, there is no way the state government will give the nod for a probe and knowing that, the petitioner Chamakala has now filed his request before Khan seeking his nod to give the sanction to prosecute Vijayan.

While Khan went hammer and tongs against Vijayan for personally requesting him to re-appoint Gopinath Ravindran as the vice-chancellor of Kannur University, Vijayan denied the charges claiming that all the rules and procedures in the appointment were followed. It was Khan himself who had given the sanction for it.

At a press conference held on Monday, Khan had released the letters between him and Vijayan and reiterated that he made the appointment based on Vijayan's request and has realised that it was wrong.

Khan, who is presently on a trip to North India, is expected to return early next month and if he refuses sanction, then the Congress-led opposition will accuse the two leaders of a secret pact and term all the noise "stage managed".

But if he gives the nod, then the ruling CPI-M led Left will be up in arms against him.

Notably, in 2006 , Vijayan encountered a similar situation when the then Governor R.S.Gavai gave the nod to prosecute Vijayan in the SNC Lavalin case.

--IANS

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