THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid a bitter battle with the government, Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has decided to hold Christmas celebrations in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode with the participation of the Chief Minister, Ministers, religious priests and community leaders. The first program will be held at Raj Bhavan on December 14th at 4 pm. 150 guests will be received after erecting a pandal in the Raj Bhavan courtyard. After December 16, celebrations will be organized in Kochi and Kozhikode.

Chief Minister, Ministers, Speaker, Leader of the Opposition, MPs, MLAs, various religious priests and prominent personalities will be invited to the function at Raj Bhavan. Sumptuous food and musical entertainment will be arranged for the guests. Union ministers and ministers of other states may also participate. All Speakers will be invited to Raj Bhavan. The list of invitees and the invitation letters are being prepared at Raj Bhavan. The Governor may personally visit the Chief Minister and invite him. The Governor, who will go to Kochi on 16th, will go to Kozhikode after the programs there. This is the first time that the Governor is organizing the Christmas celebration at three places in the state. Last year, a few Christian priests attended the Christmas celebration at Raj Bhavan.

A cake-cutting ceremony is also being planned with the participation of the Governor, the Chief Minister and the Speaker. However, it is not clear whether the Chief Minister and the ministers, who are at loggerheads with the Governor, will attend the program. Due to the differences with the government, the Governor had earlier abandoned the reception (at home) usually held at Raj Bhavan for ministers and their family members on Independence Day. The reception was cancelled after the government sanctioned Rs 15 lakh for it as per the demand of the Governor's secretary. The Governor then decided to hand over this amount to those who were affected by the rains.

Christmas instead of Onam
In a press conference, the Governor had openly said that the government had not invited him to the conclusion of the government's Onam week celebration. On the day of the government's celebration, the governor reached Attapadi and celebrated Onam with the tribals.