'Kerala govt exploring legal options against Guv over pending bills'

NEW DELHI: Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury has said that the party and the Kerala government are exploring legal options against state Governor Arif Mohammad Khan over the bills pending with him passed by the state assembly.

"We are exploring how to deal with this situation. We are exploring the legal options. Consultations are going on both levels - our CPI(M) state unit and the state government there. Discussion is going on and based on that we will see further," Yechury told ANI.

Yechury alleged that the Governor spends most of his time in Delhi.

"He is the Governor of Kerala and you see his entire schedule. He spends most of his time in Delhi. He holds press conferences from Delhi," Yechury said.

"We are not opposing any person or party. It is a constitutional post, it has dignity. The Constitution is clear that the Governor has to act on the guidance of the Cabinet and on the basis of its decisions. If he is violating it, then it needs a solution," the CPI-M leader added.

The Lok Ayukta bill and University Amendment Bill are pending before the Governor for some time. Yechury alleged that there was a misuse of the office of the governor in opposition-ruled states.

"Who is the person, it is not the question? The question is the misuse of the office of Governor? Tamil Nadu raised the same issue. The same thing is being raised in many states where there is a non-BJP government and in all these states, efforts (are) being made by the Governor to do the politics of the central government," he alleged.

Amidst the ongoing tussle between the Raj Bhavan and the Left government, the Kerala Governor on Monday threw a challenge to the ruling CPI-M for debate following the proposed protest march on November 15 and said "law and order issues" are being created.

"Don't hold it CPI(M) march) on November 15, hold it on a day when I am in the Raj Bhavan. I will come there, let's have a public debate...VCs are being stopped from performing their duty, law and order issues are being created, I am being threatened with dire consequences," the Governor said addressing the media in Kochi.

"They have initiated the process of collapse of constitutional machinery. I would urge them to go ahead, create more problems, barge into the Raj Bhavan if they have the guts, attack me on the road...," he added.

Apart from the pending bills, the LDF government and the state Governor have been at loggerheads over some other issues including the appointment and resignation of vice-chancellors.