Unceremonious farewell for outgoing Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as CM Vijayan absent

Thiruvananthapuram: Arif Mohammed Khan, who left Kerala on Sunday after being appointed as the Bihar Governor, was given an unceremonious farewell with neither Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan nor any of his Cabinet colleagues turning up to see him off.

Though an official farewell to Khan could not be organised owing to the state mourning in view of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's death, the absence of dignitaries from the Cabinet even for an informal farewell to Khan was noticeable owing to the intense Governor-Government rift in Kerala over the last few years.

Khan refused direct replies to queries by reporters on this. He said he had only discharged his duties as Governor after serving the role for the last five years. He also said that a formal send off could not be organised owing to the state mourning.

Khan also expressed his gratitude in Malayalam. "Though my term as Governor ended, I will be having a lifelong relationship with Kerala," he said.

State chief secretary Sarada Muraleedharan had presented the state government's memento to Khan on Saturday.

Meanwhile, activists of CPI(M)'s students' outfit Students' Federation of India (SFI), waved goodbye to Khan while he was going to the airport on Sunday. Khan had directly confronted SFI activists who tried to block his vehicle and waved black flags at him on several occasions.

Incumbent Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who is succeeding Khan as Kerala governor, is expected to reach Kerala by January 1 and take over on January 2.