Khan flays Vijayan for remark on time spent by governor in state, says it reflects poorly on CM

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi: Hours after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took a dig at the Kerala Governor, saying he spends very little time in the state, Arif Mohammed Khan shot back saying such comments 'speak very poorly' of those who do not invite him to Onam celebrations.

Khan also that the CM and his government have 'no sense of shame' as they did not even bother to apologise to him for pressuring him to reappoint Gopinath Ravindran as the Vice Chancellor of Kannur University.

He said that he had initially told the government that it was not right to pressure him to re-appoint Ravindran, "but they came with the opinion of the Advocate General and I okayed it."

"But the Supreme Court made him vacate the post. Instead of saying sorry for what they pressured me to do, people who do not have any sense of shame are free to say anything they like," Khan told reporters in New Delhi.

He was responding to reporters pointing out that the Kerala CM, during his speech at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi as part of the LDF protest against the Centre, had accused the governor of using his post to sabotage the functioning of universities.

When reporters sought his stance regarding Vijayan's comment that the Governor spends very little time in the state, Khan said that all his programmes are approved by Rashtrapati Bhavan.

"So, in fact, people who do not invite the Governor even for the Onam celebrations making this complaint speaks poorly of them. It speaks very poorly of them," he said.

Vijayan had also said that if at all Khan does come to Kerala, he does not have time to read out the entire Governor's address in the assembly. "But, he has time to sit on the road and create a scene," Vijayan mocked, referring to a recent sit-in on the road held by Khan.

The LDF, led by Vijayan, held a protest at Jantar Mantar today against the Centre's alleged neglect towards the southern state on financial matters.