Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has written a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urging him to sack the Finance Minister for promoting regionalism.
Finance Minister KN Balagopal while speaking at a public event last week said that it is impossible for people from Uttar Pradesh to understand Kerala University. This led to criticism that he spoke as if every state had higher education at every level.
In this case, the Governor in his letter said, “Finance Minister KN Balagopal’s speeches are a violation of the oath he took when I administered the oath of office to him. Those who deliberately violate the oath and those who belittle it are not fit to hold office.
On October 19, speaking at the Thiruvananthapuram University campus, he spoke in an inciting manner of regionalism. He has spoken to destroy the unity of the nation. A minister who increases income through liquor and lottery is like me in UP. He has questioned whether residents can understand Kerala’s education system. May he not make a similar comment to the Supreme Court judges.
Even though many people like Education Minister, Law Minister had personal criticisms on me, I did not see them as they did not hurt me. But if I do not heed Balagopal’s speech now, it will be a dereliction of duty,” the governor said in the letter.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan rejected the request of this letter. The Chief Minister has also written a reply letter to the Governor in this regard. Meanwhile, student organizations protested outside the Raj Bhavan.