Congress, CPI accuse Kerala Governor of acting as 'swayamsevak'

Thiruvananthapuram/Alappuzha, Jun 20 (PTI) The Congress and the CPI on Friday said that Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishawanath Arlekar was behaving as a 'swayamsevak' and turning the Raj Bhavan, his official residence, into a centre of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said that the President of India should intervene in the matter in view of the Governor's conduct of "misusing his constitutional position" in connection with the Bharat Mata controversy.

"Once he is the Governor, he should not function as a swayamsevak," he said and alleged that Arlekar was turning his official residence into the headquarters of the RSS.

At the same time, he questioned why Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was hesitating to write to the President of India to intervene in the matter and why he was not informing the Prime Minister about the issue.

CPI state secretary Binoy Viswom said that while the LDF government has no interest in entering into a non-stop row with the Governor, Arlekar, "unfortunately", was constantly showing the "enthusiasm" for creating a controversy.

"The reason for this is not clear," he said.

Viswom said that it appears as if Arlekar "was being controlled by his earlier life as a swayamsevak" and that it was not clear why the Governor was unable to set aside his life as a swayamsevak after assuming the constitutional position.

"So, it is time for him to decide whether he wants to be led by the Constitution of India or the 'Bunch of Thoughts' which was the basis of his life as a swayamsevak.

"If it's the Constitution, then these regular attempts to create controversy have no reason. If his life as a swayamsevak is going to lead him, then he will travel on the path that he is on now," the Left veteran said.

He urged the Governor to read the various legislations with regard to the national emblems and symbols and said that after reading them, Arlekar should think about the need for and the legal sanctity of insisting on displaying the Bharat Mata portrait -- seen in RSS events -- at all programmes held at the Raj Bhavan.

While Viswom claimed that there was no protocol violation by State General Education Minister V Sivankutty when he walked out from an event at the Raj Bhavan in protest against the display of the Bharat Mata portrait, Venugopal termed it as "a drama".

Viswom claimed that turning the Raj Bhawan into an RSS centre was not protocol. "It is illegal and unconstitutional," he said.

The CPI state secretary also said that Bharat Mata for them was the land, the people of the country and the environment and slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki jai' are meant for them.

"The national flag is the symbol of that Bharat Mata," he added.

Viswom also said that the Left will not succumb to any of the threats from the Governor.

Venugopal too said that the Raj Bhavan should not be turned into an RSS centre.

He also accused the Governor of turning his office into a controversial subject through his conduct during the government programmes held at the Raj Bhavan. "It is not correct," he said.

The Congress leader also said that it was not an issue of Bharat Mata and rather, the Governor was turning the Raj Bhavan into an RSS headquarters.

"What he is doing is a challenge to the Constitution. He is misusing his constitutional position. We all honour Bharat Mata. But he has not been appointed as Kerala Governor to implement or spread RSS propaganda," Venugopal said.

He also said that there are no such controversies in other states, but here the Governor was leading the state into a "dangerous situation".

"There is no doubt that it is a wrong thing," he added. PTI HMP HMP KH