T’puram: Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday rejected governor Rajendra Arlekar’s demand that portions the latter omitted while delivering the policy address be removed from the official records of the assembly. Governor wrote to speaker A N Shamseer, seeking that only the portions read out by him be treated as the official policy address in the assembly records. The speaker placed the matter before the House for its consideration, following which the CM clarified the govt’s stand.
Responding in the assembly, Vijayan said the governor neither wrote nor verbally communicated any request for changes when the draft of the policy address was forwarded to him. The CM further stated that it was never the practice for a governor to unilaterally alter and read out a revised version of the policy address that was already approved by the state cabinet. While there were instances in the past where governors shortened their speech by omitting certain portions while reading it out, the convention was to incorporate the full text approved by the council of ministers in the assembly records. If the governor’s present demand was accepted, only those portions read out by previous governors would form part of the records, Vijayan said. However, the established practice was to include the speech in its entirety as cleared by the cabinet, and there was no circumstance warranting a change in that convention. In that context, Vijayan said, the governor’s letter to the speaker need not be considered. Based on the CM’s explanation, the speaker informed the House that it decided not to consider the governor’s communications. Vijayan also alleged that the governor’s action was not in accordance with the Constitution. Assembly session concludes amid dinMeanwhile, the final sitting of the 15th Kerala legislative assembly witnessed sharp exchanges between the treasury and opposition benches. Instead of concluding the session with the customary handshake and group photograph, the two sides clashed yet again. The opposition boycotted the proceedings protesting the Sabarimala gold scam. During the question hour, opposition members entered the well of the House holding placards and raising slogans. Amid the din, the speaker cancelled question hour and moved on to other business. The opposition then staged a walkout. Moving the motion to conclude the session, the CM launched a scathing attack on the opposition, accusing it of fearing discussions, shying away from adjournment motions, and indulging in anti-development politics and misinformation. He said the govt did everything possible to raise the state to higher levels of development, expressing satisfaction and confidence over its performance, as he delivered his final speech of the second term in the assembly. The House was later adjourned sine die.
