'Bharat Mata' image row between Kerala Guv, Vijayan govt escalates

Thiruvananthapuram, June 30 (IANS) In two separate incidents on Monday that surfaced, it revealed the row between Kerala Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar and the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led government is all set to intensify further.

When many thought that with the exit of Arif Mohammed Khan after completing his term as the Governor and the arrival of Arlekar, with even Vijayan making things clear that there will be a better relation.

However, the bonhomie between Arlekar and Vijayan was short lived, with a controversy breaking over the placing of the Bharat Mata image at official functions, both at the Raj Bhavan and outside, which the state government says is one that is used by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

On two occasions, the state's official programme in the Raj Bhavan saw State Agriculture Minister P. Prasad failing to turn up and on another occasion the Education Minister V. Sivankutty after arriving at the Raj Bhavan read out from a piece of paper that what took place is not against the convention and precedence and walked out breaking the protocol.

Last week confusion prevailed when Arlekar, who was the chief guest at a function organised by a private trust in the Kerala University Senate Hall, when the Registrar K.S. Anil Kumar objected to the use of the Bharat Mata's image, but Arlekar arrived and also expressed his anguish at the turn of events.

On Monday, the Kerala University Vice-Chancellor Mohan Kunnummal ordered a detailed probe into the actions of Kumar as the Governor is the Chancellor of the varsity.

Likewise, not to lie low, the State Police department which had first issued an order to post six police officials and one driver from the department to the office of Arlekar, in a few hours cancelled the order.

Now with the wheel turning full circle, the bonhomie between Arlekar and Vijayan appears to have ended abruptly after it peaked when the former drove into the latter's residence last month with birthday gifts on Vijayan's 80th birthday.

--IANS

sg/khz