UDF's "recall governor" resolution not to be taken up for

The Kerala Assembly will not discuss the notice for resolution moved by the leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala asking the President to recall Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over his stand on the Citizenship Amendment Act, sources said.

The matter was taken up by the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the House on Friday and it was decided not to take up the matter for discussion.

"The opposition had asked for time to discuss the content of the resolution.

The BAC came to the conclusion that due to the short session of the assembly there was lack of time to discuss the matter," assembly sources told PTI.

 

Government had not agreed to the content of the debate, the sources said, adding in effect the discussion will not happen.

The resolution had sought recall of the governor for "violating all democratic principles and publicly questioning the pride of the legislature."

Law minister A K Balan told reporters that the government wishes to go only by rules and did not want to go against the spirit of the constitution.

Assembly Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan earlier held that the notice for UDF resolution was permissible under law and a final call will be taken after discussing it in the BAC.

Reacting to the development, Chennithala said he would demand discussing the matter in the BAC once more.

The government decision was a challenge to the people of the state, he told reporters.

"If this government respected the people's sentiments, it would have allowed the discussion on the resolution," he added.

Chennithala had accused the governor of publicly challenging the unanimous resolution passed by the state Assembly against the CAA.

Asked about the decision, governor Khan said "that does not come under my jurisdiction. That comes under the Honourable speaker's jurisdiction. Ask him."

The governor, who had been at loggerheads with the left government after the assembly unanimously passed the resolution and moved the Supreme Court challenging the CAA, had read the reference to the new law in his policy address on January 29, despite disagreeing with it.

It was read out amid a high voltage protest and boycott by the opposition Congress-led UDF.