Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan Rejects State Government’s Explanation Over CAA Suit Filed In SC

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Monday (20 January) rejected the state government’s explanation on moving Supreme Court challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 without informing him and has called the move by the left front government as ‘unlawful’, reports The New Indian Express.

A day after stating that he would not remain a “mute spectator” as he sought a report from the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, the Governor on Monday (20 January) said, “ No explanation can satisfy me”.

His reaction came after Kerala chief secretary Tom Jose met him at the Raj Bhavan and gave explanation on the grounds under which the state government had filed a suit in the SC against the Centre.

Jose reportedly also informed the Governor that government had not wilfully violated the rules.

Later in the evening, while speaking to reporters at airport as he was on his way to Ayodhya, Khan said that no explanation from the government can satisfy him as what they did was “unlawful” and “not legally correct”.

"My view is that approval is needed. They have gone to the Supreme Court without informing me. That is an unlawful act not legally correct. So their no explanation can satisfy me," Khan was quoted as saying.

The Governor, however, clarified that the matter was neither a “clash of egos nor any personal differences”. He further said that in a democracy, individuals are bestowed with brief authority and added that the “authority does not give the license to anybody to violate the law or the rules".

He said that in the matters affecting relations between the Centre and the state, the state government should inform the Governor as per Rule of Business Section 34 (2) sub section 5.