Governor Arif Mohammed Khan raises the pitch: Kerala government trying to pressure, frighten me

“You are trying to demean the office of the Governor… playing with every trick to pressure and frighten me. I am happy that the Chief Minister has come out openly,’’ Khan told the media in Kochi on Saturday.

Khan was referring to Vijayan’s remarks on the Governor’s statement that he would not allow legalising “illegal appointments” of relatives of personal staff of the Chief Minister and ministers in state universities. Vijayan had termed the Governor’s challenge as “nonsense” and questioned his right to speak in such a manner.

On Thursday, Khan had alleged that such appointments were done in universities with connivance of the Chief Minister.

Interacting with the media on Saturday, the Governor recounted an attempt to disrupt his address he inaugurated the Indian History Congress in Kannur in 2019, purportedly for his open support to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act,that was passed by Parliament that December. He said: “A deliberate attempt was made on my life. It was a cognizable offence in which the police could suo motu register a case. The shirt of my ADC was torn. Nobody can try to intimidate the Governor — it is an offence punishable with a seven-year jail term.”

In a veiled attack on Vijayan, who holds the Home portfolio, he asked, “(But) what prevented the police from registering the case? Who holds the Home Department (portfolio)?”