Vijayan finally breaks his silence, slams Governor's remarks

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 16 (IANS) After being at the receiving end for a while, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday broke his silence and took on Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over his statements on various issues."His statements does not befit the position he holds. How can anyone say like this? All what he said is baseless. This is utter nonsense," he said.Khan, for a while, has been going hammer and tongs against Vijayan, especially in the way his private secretary's wife got teaching job at the Kannur University and he went to the extent of saying that this appointment would not have been possible without the knowledge of the Chief Minister.At this, Vijayan said: "Just because someone is working in the office of the Chief Minister, does it mean that their near and dear ones cannot apply for jobs? Who gave him (Khan) the authority to say things like these and who is he to say such things. If there is anything wrong, those who did it will face the music and what does the Chief Minister got to do with that?"Vijayan then attacked Khan on his statements on what is happening in the universities."What's happening to him, let him examine himself. In our state, various activities takes place among the youths, staff organisations in their domain, by pasting posters... how can he say all this. Yes, he can speak if these activities were done inside his official residence (Raj Bhavan). These statements just cannot be expected from a mature person. We have done no wrong." Khan has been putting blocks before the Vijayan government when he refused to sign the re-promulgation of 11 Ordinances, forcing the state cabinet to call a special 10-day Assembly session to pass the tweaked Lokayukta Bill and one concerning the Universities, among others.As Khan said he is not a rubber stamp, but when this question was posed to Vijayan, he brushed aside it, saying: "These are all Constitutional issues and will go forward as always."
--IANS sg/vd

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