Keralam Assembly: Heated exchanges as Speaker disallows Pinarayi’s submission on ex-Governor’s move to remove PSC chairperson

The Keralam Assembly building (file)

The Keralam Assembly on Monday witnessed a heated exchange between Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan and Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan after Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan denied permission to Mr. Vijayan’s submission on the constitutional issues arising from former Keralam Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s recommendation to the President for the removal of Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) chairperson M.R. Baiju.

Citing the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Assembly, the Speaker said that House has to avoid discussing issues involving the President or the Governor. However, Mr. Vijayan said that the then Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan had in 2020 allowed the Opposition’s resolution urging the President of India to recall Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, leaving it to the government to decide whether there should be a discussion.

“This is an important issue not just for the State but for the democratic system in the entire country as constitutional values are at stake. Article 163 unequivocally states that the Governor can only act in accordance with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. The Supreme Court as well as High Courts have made this clear in the past. It also involves legal issues involving the PSC, a constitutional body,” he said.

At this point, Mr. Satheesan interjected, saying that the government will have to answer if the Leader of the Opposition continues to raise the issue even after the Speaker’s ruling that it cannot be allowed under the Rules of Business.

Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph said that once the Speaker issues a ruling, everyone has to follow it.

The Speaker said that the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) will discuss whether the issue can be taken up in the coming days.

The exchange in the Assembly comes amid a raging controversy in the State over the Governor’s recommendation. The CPI(M) State secretariat had called the Governor’s move unconstitutional and demanded that the Chief Minister clarify his stand on the Governor’s recommendation to the President to dissolve the PSC.

While the Chief Minister is yet to state his stand, a majority of the UDF Ministers who spoke on Sunday supported the Governor’s move. However, a few, including Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar and Sports Minister O.J. Janeesh, struck a different note and called it a constitutional impropriety on the former Governor’s part to “hastily” recommend the action without the government’s knowledge when an investigation was underway.

The CPI(M) has been accusing Mr. Satheesan of sharing a cordial relationship with the former Governor who “implemented the Sangh Parivar’s policies” in Kerala. The send-off programme organised by the government for Mr. Arlekar, who left the State last week, had also led to allegations by the Opposition of the government having a deal with the BJP.