Kerala Guv insulted Assembly; no criticism of Centre in policy address: VD Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan insulted the Legislative Assembly by cutting short his policy address, Opposition leader V D Satheesan said on Thursday. The senior Congress leader, however, pointed out that there was no significant criticism of the Centre in the speech.
Satheesan was reacting to Khan's quick conclusion of the government's policy address in the Assembly by only reading out its last paragraph.

"This is the culmination of political drama between the government and the Governor. There is nothing (significant) in this policy statement prepared by the government. The statement prepared and written for the Governor merely clarifies the government's position. There is no central criticism in it. The strike in Delhi was withdrawn due to fear of central agencies," Satheesan said.

He also pointed out that the policy address only harps on about Keraleeyam and Nava Kerala Sadas. “They are both programmes conducted with unaccounted funds. The housing project called Life Mission has completely collapsed. Subsidised goods are no longer available in Supplyco. Social welfare pensions are frozen. The matters mentioned in the address have no connection with the reality," he added.

Khan, who reached the Assembly at 9 am, concluded the policy address before 9.02 am and left the House by 9.04. He began the address by greeting everyone in the House and then said, "I will now read the last para."

Khan and the Left government have been at loggerheads over several issues, primarily about the functioning of universities in the state and his non-signing of certain bills passed by the Assembly.