THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a setback for the Congress-led UDF in Kerala, the Business Advisory Committee of the Assembly on Friday rejected the Opposition notice to the Speaker for a moving a resolution to seek the recall of Governor Arif Mohammad Khan. The notice given by Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala was rejected by the committee on the grounds that there was no such precedent.
The government had taken a strident position against the Opposition motion during the meeting of BAC and called for its out right rejection. Law and parliamentary affairs minister A.K. Balan slammed the Opposition move saying that the UDF was trying to take advantage of the situation especially in the wake of the controversy over CAA.
“We may have divergent opinions but we want a healthy relationship with the Governor. There is no precedent of House passing a resolution against the Governor,” he added.
The minster claimed that the Opposition had not given the notice under appropriate rules.
Mr Chennithala refuted the claims of the minister. “The notice was given under Section 130 of Assembly rules of Procedure. The Speaker is on record saying that the motion moved by me was admissible,” he told reporters.
He contested the government argument about lack of precedent. “The Kerala Assembly had passed resolution against the Governor. In 1969, during when E.M.S. Namboodiripad was chief minister the Assembly had passed resolution against the Governor. In 1995, the Tamil Nadu Assembly had moved a resolution during when J. Jayalalithaa was Chief Minister for the recall of the then Governor M. Chenna Reddy. During E.K. Nayanar’s tenure as Chief Minister, CPM member O. Bharathan moved resolution against the then governor Ram Dulari Sinha. At that time the then Speaker Varkala Radhakrishnan had categorically stated that Assembly can pass a resolution seeking the recall of a Governor,” Mr Chennithala said.
By proposing a resolution, the Opposition leader had tried to exploit the differences between the LDF and Governor. Though the Governor had taken strident position against the government on the issue of Assembly resolution against the CAA and suit filed in Supreme Court against the central law, he read out the controversial portions during the policy address in Assembly which came as big relief for the LDF.
With the Opposition leader saying that the UDF would take up issue of recall of Governor during coming days, the Assembly is likely to witness stormy days ahead .
