Bharat Mata controversy; such idols are unconstitutional, CM writes to Governor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written a letter to Governor Rajendra Arlekar in the controversy over the Bharat Mata picture in Raj Bhavan. The chief minister has made it clear in the letter that such idols are unconstitutional. Pinarayi Vijayan pointed that such idols should not be used in government programmes. Raj Bhavan will reply to the letter.

The government has received legal advice that using anything other than the official symbol in government programmes is unconstitutional. The chief minister has written the letter based on this. Although CPI ministers have raised the opinion that a case should be filed in the court on the issue, the cabinet that met yesterday decided that it would be appropriate to express its opposition for the time being. Although some senior officials gave a note to the government that the cabinet should take a decision and issue an order, the cabinet did not consider that either. It is hinted that the government is not interested in unnecessarily provoking the governor. The government's general stance is to handle the issue maturely without politicizing it.

The government's stand is that the Bharat Mata picture is not a constitutional symbol that the state must follow. This is not hinted anywhere. In this situation, it has been informed that the Governor should not insist on matters that are not in accordance with the Constitution and are not included in the instructions or procedures that the state government must follow. It is reported that if the Governor rejects this, other steps will be considered.