Kerala's Assembly Showdown: Governor vs Chief Minister

In a dramatic turn at the Kerala Assembly, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar failed to fully deliver the state-approved policy address, omitting criticisms of the central government's fiscal policies. The Governor also made unauthorized additions to the speech, prompting a call for the official version to be recognized.

The Kerala Assembly turned into a stage of contention when Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar had skipped key parts of a state policy address, approved by the cabinet, during his reading in the House.

The omitted sections took aim at the fiscal policy of the ruling BJP at the Centre and touched upon Bills stuck at the Lok Bhavan. Vijayan highlighted these omissions, including a critique about the state's fiscal stress due to Union government policies and pending legislation awaiting constitutional review.

Additionally, the Governor inserted the phrase 'My government considers' into the speech, altering the context related to state fiscal entitlements. Vijayan called for the Speaker to endorse the cabinet-approved address as the official record, a stance Speaker A N Shamseer upheld, referencing previous precedents.

(With inputs from agencies.)