Governor Arif Mohammad Khan is not discharging his duties: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

The war of words between the Left government and the Kerala Governor intensified when Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that Arif Mohammed Khan was not performing his duties.

Vijayan, while replying to reporters’ questions yesterday on some of the announcements made by Khan, said he had no problem if the governor was a “Sangh Parivar follower”.

The Prime Minister said, “But the Governor has to act as a Governor. At present he does not perform the functions of the Governor.”

Khan had said on Wednesday that he was open to the state government council, “but not under their pressure”. It mentioned the appointments of Vice-Rectors (VCs) of various universities in the state.

The Governor had also said that if the state government wants to take immediate steps regarding any project of law or ordinance, then it should come to Raj Bhavan and give clarification.

He also asked Vijayan to ensure that members and supporters of the Marxist party avoid calling Pakistan-occupied Kashmir as ‘Azad Kashmirmira’ and “avoid the fire of separatism and regionalism”. Khan made these comments in response to media reports that he had not ratified the ordinances sent by the government for his approval.

On the subject of ordinances, the Prime Minister said that if the Governor has to say something, he will say it directly and not through the media.

Since the recent Supreme Court verdict, which quashed the re-election of Gopinath Raveendran as VC of Kannur University and slammed the Left government for “undue interference” in the case, a war of words has erupted between Khan and Government. Left.

The high tribunal had ruled on Khan’s order to re-elect Raveendran to the post, saying the governor had “abandoned or resigned” before exercising his legal powers to nominate him as VC.

It was also said that it was the Cancelor to whom he would hand over the contest to nominate or nominate back the Vice Chancellors. “No other person, not even the Prochancellor or any senior authority, can interfere in the functioning of the statutory authority,” he argued.

After the verdict, Khan said that he should not blame state Higher Education Minister R Bindu, as the former minister had used him for Raveendran’s re-election.

In this case, there was an allegation of putting pressure on the Prime Minister.