THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After Governor Arif Mohammad Khan attacked the Left government in the state for not complying to his instructions, an agitated CPM launched a counterattack. After the CPM state secretariat meeting on Friday, state secretary M V Govindan, termed him a caretaker.

“The present governor’s tenure has ended in September and the Union government has not extended his tenure yet. According to the 156(3) of the Constitution, until a new governor is appointed the present governor will continue in the role of a caretaker. In that position the governor is intimidating the state government”, Govindan said.

Coming heavily on Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, the CPM and CPI have cautioned the former from threatening the LDF government. “Don’t try to intimidate the government. We have overcome intimidation bigger than this”, Govindan told the media. The CPI state council, in a statement, accused the governor of playing the role of opposition in the state.

Govindan alleged that the Union government is trying to destroy the LDF government by using the governor. “The governor is presenting gold smuggling as a state subject though it comes under the purview of the central agencies. Confiscation of gold smuggling is the responsibility of the Union government. Even after the CM has issued a clarification about the issue involving Malappuram district, the governor is propagating a wrong perception” he said.

The CPI has alleged that the governor has crossed all limits of constitutional morality. By intervening in the day- to-day affairs of a state government the governor has created a wrong tradition, it said.

Governor’s action highly condemnable, says TP Ramakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan on Friday termed Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s actions against the state government highly condemnable. In a statement against Khan, Ramakrishnan criticised him for summoning state government officials, and said the governor did not know Constitutional practices.