Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has, in a letter to the governor, described as “unconstitutional” the display of an image of Bharat Mata at Raj Bhavan.
In his letter, the chief minister urged governor Rajendra Arlekar to refrain from using such images in government events.
Vijayan’s letter was in response to legal advice indicating that using any symbol other than the official emblem at government events violates constitutional norms. The issue was brought before the state cabinet on Wednesday, prompting Vijayan to formally communicate his concerns to the governor.
“The chief minister’s letter states that the Bharat Mata picture is unconstitutional, which the state should not follow. The government’s stand is that the governor should not insist on matters that are not in accordance with the Constitution,” said a government source.
Arlekar has replied to Vijayan's letter, saying that Bharat Mata is not an ideology of any political party, but depicts the unity of the nation. "Bharat Mata rose from the hopes on freedom, which stands above caste and politics. The general education minister boycotting the programme at Raj Bhavan was an insult to the constitutional head of the state. His action exhibited breach of protocol. I decided to reply at the earliest as the issue has snowballed into a major controversy affecting law and order in the state," Arlekar replied.
The SFI has been protesting across the state, including holding demonstrations in front of Raj Bhavan, opposing the governor’s actions.
The governor is on tour and has been attending events at Thrissur. A Raj Bhavan official said Arlekar is scheduled to leave for Mumbai from Kochi on Friday.