Kerala Governor Arif Khan criticises CM Pinarayi Vijayan over the leaked ‘confidential’ letter

Rejecting the Kerala government’s repeat request for permission for a special assembly, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has hit out at Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The Governor has said that Pinarayi Vijayan had not explained the need for the special session, despite the former asking for it.

Moreover, the Governor added that the CM’s office had informed him that Pinarayi Vijayan’s letter was highly confidential. However, he said that he had seen the news media reporting on the letter while he was reading it. Arif Khan expressed his displeasure on the matter and criticised the leak in his letter to the CM.

Arif Khan has also noted that the CM’s arguments in the letter are not factual and that his decision not to give permission is not unconstitutional. He was pointing to Pinarayi Vijayan’s argument that the Governor “does not have discretionary powers” in regards to calling an assembly into a session. He has stuck to his original reason that there is no immediate need to call a special session of the assembly.

He had also added that he has never denied any requests put forward by the cabinet. According to the Governor’s latest letter to the Chief Minister, he had asked the CM to explain the needs for the special assembly session, but the second letter from the CM did not include the explanation.