Kerala govt boycotts event over Bharat Mata portrait; Guv says 'no compromise'

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has kept off from an environment day celebration schedule at the Raj Bhavan owing to a picture of Bharat Mata kept at the venue.

The left-front government maintained that the picture kept at the central hall of Raj Bhavan, where the programme was scheduled to be held on Thursday, was the Bharat Mata picture often used by the RSS.

With Governor Rajendra Arlekar rejecting the government's request to change the picture, the state government shifted the function to the darbar hall of the government secretariat.

The fresh row gives a new dimension to the Governor - government friction prevailing in many non-BJP ruled states.

The state agriculture department had organised the function for planting fruit plants at the Raj Bhavan. The department officials who were making arrangements at the Raj Bhavan reported to the minister about the Bharat Mata picture at the venue. The minister requested Raj Bhavan to change the picture with another one. But Raj Bhavan rejected the suggestion. Subsequently the government decided to shift the venue.

Meanwhile, Raj Bhavan organised environment day celebrations at the same venue. Speaking on the occasion the Governor flayed the state government's stand. He also paid floral tributes to the picture of Bharat Mata.

"A minister wanted to remove the picture of Bharat Mata from the dias. I said that we could do everything possible. But the picture of Bharat Mata could not be removed. We could not remove our motherland and could not do away with the ideals for which we are living," he said.

Agriculture minister P Prasad said that it was improper to keep a picture of Bharat Mata being used by RSS at the Raj Bhavan which is the office of the Governor who is discharging constitutional duties. He also clarified that the state government was not showing disrespect to Bharat Mata but was only objecting to the picture being used. "The Governor is insisting on using the same picture, which we cannot accept," said Prasad, who is from the CPI.

The opposition Congress also strongly flayed the Governor over the issue. Opposition leader V D Satheesan said that the attempts to make Raj Bhavan a headquarters of RSS should be resisted.He asked why Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was not openly flaying the Governor.

The fresh row is happening close on the heels of the row over a programme of RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy on 'Operation Sindhoor' being held at the Raj Bhavan. The Chief Minister and Opposition Congress strongly criticised Arlekar for organising the event of RSS leader at the Raj Bhavan.

After Arlekar took over as Kerala Governor replacing Arif Mohammed Khan, Kerala Chief Minister was even making proactive measures to have a good rapport with him. Raising many eyebrows, the Governor was also present at a breakfast meeting hosted by the Chief Minister for union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi.

Kerala earlier witnessed strong friction between the government and then Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on various issues like the selection of vice chancellors of universities.