Satheesan Defends Changes Made In Protocol During Swearing In Ceremony
Kerala Lok Bhavan's strict protocols not complied with
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan on Monday defended the changes made to the protocol at the swearing-in ceremony, saying that conventions and precedents are bound to change.
At the Cabinet briefing, Satheesan said the ceremony was an event for the people who elected the government. Responding to questions from reporters about dignitaries being seated on the stage during the ceremony, he explained that everyone who attended had to be accommodated.
Kerala Lok Bhavan’s directive allows only the Governor, Chief Minister-designate V. D. Satheesan, and the Ministers taking oath to occupy chairs on the stage was not followed during the event.
“Precedents are meant to change. It is not appropriate to treat something as a fixed precedent for 100 or 150 years.”
Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi joined the Chief Minister-designate and Ministers-designate on stage during the oath-taking ceremony at the Central Stadium. Several prominent leaders, including Opposition Leader Pinarayi Vijayan, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam, BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar, and V. M. Sudheeran, were also seated on stage. The Congress leadership saw the strict protocols from Lok Bhavan as an effort to prevent top Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge from sharing the stage with the CM-designate and his Cabinet, as the directive stated all other leaders and guests, regardless of rank, should remain in the audience.
Congress leaders slammed the protocols as anti-democratic, citing oath-taking ceremonies in other states, particularly those ruled by the BJP, where the Prime Minister, Home Minister, and Chief Ministers of NDA-ruled states shared the stage with the CM-designate and Cabinet. They claimed the directive was selective and showed an undemocratic mindset.
Satheeshan noted that apart from national leaders, the Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Telangana, and Himachal Pradesh, the Deputy Chief Ministers of Karnataka and Telangana, and the former Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh attended the swearing-in.
The Chief Minister said he was pleased that Pinarayi Vijayan, whom he had personally invited, was also present. He added that a large crowd had been expected and sufficient security arrangements were in place.
