CPI MP writes to president alleging misuse of governor's office in opposition-ruled states

New Delhi: CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar on Friday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu alleging "misuse” of gubernatorial authority in the opposition-ruled states. Mentioning a recent incident in Kerala where a portrait of 'Bharat Mata' was used at an event at the Raj Bhavan, leading to a boycott of the function by a state minister, Kumar expressed serious concern over the "continued misuse of gubernatorial authority in the opposition-ruled states".

Kumar said it was most recently reflected in the conduct of the Kerala governor during the Environment Day celebrations at the Raj Bhavan, where a "particular version of the Bharat Mata image" was displayed without consulting the state government. "The arbitrary imposition of a particular version of the Bharat Mata image – without consultation with the elected government – forced Agriculture Minister P Prasad to boycott the event," Kumar said. Claiming that it was not an isolated episode, the CPI leader said, “We are witnessing a pattern where governors in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu repeatedly act as political agents, converting Raj Bhavans into ideological outposts of the RSS, disregarding constitutional norms, federal principles and the mandate of democratically elected governments.” He alleged that the Kerala incident also "potentially contravened" the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950, and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971, "by misusing national symbols for political or sectarian purposes". "The Bharat Mata image, originally envisioned by Abanindranath Tagore during the Swadeshi movement as a unifying emblem of anti-colonial resistance, has in recent years been altered and weaponised by an organisation notorious for its divisive politics. “It is unacceptable that such reimagined and controversial symbols are now being forced upon official functions and public institutions, further polarising our society," Kumar alleged.

The CPI leader urged the president to "take serious note of this trend and take immediate steps to ensure that governors do not overstep their constitutional mandate". The presence of a Bharat Mata portrait, allegedly associated with RSS 'shakhas', at a World Environment Day event at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday led to the state government boycotting the programme. Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad, who boycotted the event, said while the state government respects Bharat Mata, using an image commonly associated with RSS 'shakhas' for an official function at the Raj Bhavan was “unconstitutional”. In a statement issued by the Raj Bhavan, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said, "Whatever be the pressure from whichever quarters, there will be no compromise whatsoever on Bharat Mata."