Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], January 20 : Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday accused Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar of making additions and deletions to the policy address approved by the Council of Ministers, and requested the Legislative Assembly to accept the Cabinet-approved version as the authentic policy document.
Speaking in the House during the opening day of the 16th session of the 15th Kerala Legislative Assembly, Vijayan said, "There are certain additions and deletions that were made in the policy address delivered today by the Governor while addressing the House. In paragraphs 12, 15 and 16 of the policy address approved by the Council of Ministers, certain changes were made in the speech delivered by the Governor."
Detailing the alterations, the Chief Minister said the first sentence of paragraph 12, "Despite having achieved such social and institutional gains, Kerala continues to face a severe financial strain as a result of the Union Government's persistent adverse actions that weaken the constitutional principles of fiscal federalism"--was omitted by the Governor.
He further noted that the last two sentences of paragraph 15, which stated, "Bills passed by State Legislatures have been kept pending for long periods. In these matters, my Government has approached the Supreme Court, and they have been referred to a Constitution Bench," were also left out of the Governor's speech.
Referring to paragraph 16, Vijayan said the Cabinet-approved sentence, "Tax devolution and Finance Commission grants are constitutional entitlements of the States and not acts of generosity, and any pressure exerted on the constitutional institutions entrusted with these responsibilities undermines the federal principles"--was altered by the addition of the words "my Government believes."
"The policy address approved by the Council of Ministers, incorporating the portions omitted by the Governor and excluding the additions made, has been printed and distributed. I request that this be accepted as the authentic policy address," the Chief Minister told the Assembly.
The session began with the customary policy address by Governor Arlekar, his first since assuming office on January 2, 2025. The ongoing Assembly session is the final sitting of the House before Kerala heads into Assembly elections later this year.
In his address, the Governor, speaking on behalf of the state government, emphasised the continuation of the employment guarantee scheme in its traditional form and highlighted key legislations passed by the state, including the Landmark Right to Services Act and the law making Malayalam the official language of Kerala while protecting the rights of linguistic minorities.