High voltage drama in Kerala, chaos created when Governor refused to speak against the Centre.

News India Live, Digital Desk: In a democracy, the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly are conducted with strict rules, but when two big faces holding constitutional posts, i.e. ‘Governor’ and ‘Chief Minister’ do not agree with each other’s views, then the scene is different. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan (the article mentions Arlekar in the link but generally Khan in Kerala and Arlekar in Goa, as per the article reference the turning of pages by Governor Rajendra Arlekar is under discussion) read the address in front of the House, but he left out some selected paragraphs of that script.

What is the controversy after all?
Actually, according to tradition, the speech read by the Governor is prepared by the cabinet of the state government. It often criticizes the policies of the central government and mentions the achievements of the state. It is reported that this time some strong words were used in the speech against the Central Government. The Governor probably did not like this and ended his address leaving out those ‘controversial’ parts.

What did the Chief Minister do?
As soon as the Governor came out of the House, the Chief Minister took command. He read out the entire speech in the House, including the parts omitted by the Governor. This is being seen as a message from the government that—”It is not so easy to suppress our voice.”

Is this just a coincidence or an old dispute?
In states like Kerala, which have non-BJP governments, such tussles between the Raj Bhavan (the home of the Governor) and the Secretariat (the office of the Chief Minister) are now becoming common. Be it Bengal, Tamil Nadu or Kerala, it has become a ‘political trend’ for Governors to question government decisions or omit parts of speeches.

What are these signs for democracy?
Political experts do not consider this as good news for the federal structure. The Governor should act as a ‘setu’ or bridge between the Center and the State, and not as a barrier. When the protectors start doubting each other’s intentions, development and public issues get left behind.

What happened in the Kerala Assembly today can make the constitutional equations of the country even more complicated in the future. It will be interesting to see whether any way for talks is found now or whether this ‘Cold War’ will continue like this.

What do you think?
Should the Governor read everything written by the state government, or does he have the right to make changes as per his understanding? Do let us know your frank opinion in the comments!