Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan declined approval for a special assembly session planned on Wednesday by the LDF Government to discuss about the Central agriculture laws.
The Cabinet had decided to discuss new agriculture laws and planned to pass a resolution against them in the wake of Farmers’ protest around Delhi. As per that decision, the Government of Kerala requested the Governor to convene assembly.
The Governor earlier in the day sought a response on the reason for the special session, to which a response was sent. However, the assent was refused, according to sources at the Chief Minister’s office.
Governor’s decision on Tuesday evoked a sharp response from the government side with agriculture minister VS Sunil Kumar calling it ”Undemocratic”. Opposition Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala said it was “Unfortunate” and against “Democratic values”.
The State BJP welcomed the Governor’s action, saying the attempt to pass a resolution against the laws passed by Parliament and given assent by President of India was unconstitutional.
The Government of Kerala considering this act of Governor as an “Over Reach” and “Against Constitutional Provisions”.
Assembly speaker P Sri Rama Krishnan said the Governor’s decision was unprecedented and added the State government can take a decision after considering all legal aspects.
“Even if the governor had not accorded sanction for the session, all MLAs can gather at a hall inside the assembly complex and pass the resolution”
VS Sunil Kumar, Minister for Agriculture, Kerala.
Kerala Government had in December last year convened a similar Special session of the Assembly which passed a resolution demanding scrapping of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, becoming the first state to take such a measure then.
Now Countrywide agitations are going on against the central agriculture laws which affect the farmers of Kerala too. The Opposition UDF also decided to support the State government’s decision to convene a special session.
