Kerala Guv's highly confidential letter to Speaker received by media first is 'ironical': Shamseer

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Assembly Speaker A N Shamseer termed as "ironical" that a "highly confidential" letter to him from the Governor was received by the media before him and said that he will not be replying to it.

The Speaker said that if the Governor's office wants a reply from him, they should give him the letter first and not "a copy" of it after being given to the media.

Shamseer was responding to reporters' queries regarding a letter sent by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar seeking visuals of the policy speech by him on January 20 in the Assembly, marking the commencement of the budget session.

Arlekar has sought the visuals after the Assembly adopted the Cabinet approved speech as the official version and not the one he delivered in which he had made some omissions and additions.

Shamseer said that as the letter was marked highly confidential, his private secretary opened it in his presence.

"But by then, the media had already got it and the public knew what was the content of the letter. So, the media got the letter that was marked highly confidential, which is ironic," he said.

At the same time, the Speaker made it clear he was not saying that Arlekar gave the letter to the media, but the Governor's office needed to seriously examine how it got leaked.

"If a letter is given directly to us, a reply will be given. If it is given to the media first and we only get a copy, then no reply will be given," Shamseer said.