Instruct Kerala Guv to act within Constitutional limits: Venugopal to President

Thiruvananthapuram | AICC general secretary K C Venugopal has written to the President of India requesting that Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar be instructed to work within the limits of the Constitution and refrain from actions that undermine the federal system.

The Congress party, in a statement onThursday said Venugopal conveyed his concern to the President about the constitutional crisis and law and order issues being created in Kerala by the Governor's stand regarding display of the 'Bharat Mata with a saffron flag' portrait.

The Governor's insistence on displaying the portrait at official functions, which has no constitutional and legal recognition, is unacceptable, the Congress MP from Alappuzha said in his letter.

He also said that it was dangerous to give priority to such an unofficial picture in public functions instead of the national flag, according to the party statement.

The Congress MP also claimed that the allegedly "unconstitutional" stand taken by the Raj Bhavan has weakened the functioning of the democratic institutions in the state and created law and order issues.

He said that the Governor should work within the constitutional framework where ideological views have no place.

He claimed that recent developments in Kerala reflect a departure from the constitutional tenets according to which the Governor's office is expected to function.

Venugopal further said that the Governor should act neutrally while upholding federalism and constitutional propriety.

"Deviating from that will weaken the people's faith in the Constitution," he said, adding that recent developments in Kerala are a deviation from constitutional principles.

Venugopal also referred to his letter in a post on social media platform X.

"I wrote to the Hon’ble President of India on the growing constitutional crisis and law and order situation instigated by the obstructionist and anti-constitutional approach of the Raj Bhavan in Kerala. Governors are meant to act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers...

"... but under the BJP regime, we see Raj Bhavans are becoming the promoters of the saffron ideology, instead of upholding the Constitution. Repeated controversies, continuous shadow boxing and multiple roadblocks is not what the people deserve. I trust the Hon’ble President will treat this matter with utmost seriousness," he said in his post on X.

The Bharat Mata controversy began in the state when the Governor displayed the Bharat Mata portrait, usually seen in RSS events, at an Environment Day programme at the Raj Bhavan earlier this month.

It had led to the state Agriculture Minister P Prasad boycotting the event and the Governor asserting that there will be no "compromise" on the issue of Bharat Mata.

Since then, Arlekar has displayed the portrait in all events held at the Raj Bhavan, including one to give certificates to scouts and guides, leading to state General Education Minister V Sivankutty walking out of one of them recently.

Subsequently, the CM and several of the ministers have said that only official or authorised symbols or emblems or portraits can be used in government programmes.