Kerala govt's tussle with governor: Row erupts over use of Bharat Mata portrait at Raj Bhavan

Thiruvananthapuram: The CPM-led Left Democratic Front government in Kerala and the Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar are currently involved in a blame-game for displaying Bharat Mata's picture with a saffron flag at functions at Raj Bhavan.

While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan sent a letter to the Governor expressing his displeasure, the Governor, in-turn sent a letter of his own to the state government.

He accused the general education minister V Sivankutty of showing disrespect to the Governor by staging a walkout from a recent function at the Raj Bhavan by expressing his differences over the display of Bharat Mata's picture on the dais.

The chief minister reiterated in the reply that only official pictures or symbols should be used at official functions at Raj Bavan. The chief minister had earlier sent a letter to the Governor in this regard.

It is learnt that the chief minister also said in the reply to the Governor that the education minister did not intend to show any disrespect to the Governor, but only reacted naturally on seeing a picture that was not in accordance with the spirit of Indian Constitution.

Earlier Pinarayi had strongly reacted against the display of pictures of RSS leaders at the Raj Bhavan by stating that Raj Bhavan's standards should not be lowered to that of RSS shakha.