Archive · 17 Aug 2026
Kerala LoP Vijayan accuses Governor Arlekar of constitutional violations
In the Indian state of Kerala, there is a big argument between the Governor and the state government.
The Governor is a person who represents the central government in the state.
The Leader of the Opposition, Pinarayi Vijayan, is upset because the Governor called the police chief to meet him without asking the Chief Minister first.
Vijayan says this is against the rules of the Constitution.
He says the Governor should listen to the elected government instead of acting on his own.
He reminded everyone about a Supreme Court decision from 2016 that said Governors do not have unlimited powers.
Vijayan also worried that this could give too much power to a group called the RSS.
He thinks the current state government is being too quiet and should stand up for its rights.
He says the previous government did a better job of protecting the state's rights.
Vijayan wants the elected government to be respected and not ignored.
Kerala Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan accused Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar of constitutional violations for directly summoning the state police chief without consulting the Chief Minister or the minister concerned.
Vijayan described the Governor's action as undemocratic and an attempt to run a parallel administration by bypassing the elected government.
He cited the Supreme Court's 2016 Nabam Rebia judgment, saying Article 163 of the Constitution does not confer unfettered discretionary powers on the Governor.
Vijayan claimed the intervention could eventually lead to handing over the state's police administration to the RSS.
He criticised the UDF government for its 'culpable silence' and conciliatory approach, contrasting it with the previous LDF government's strong constitutional defence against similar interventions.
- Who
- Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
- What
- Vijayan accused the Governor of constitutional violations for summoning the state police chief without consulting the Chief Minister or the minister concerned
- When
- Monday
- Where
- Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
- Why
- Vijayan alleges the Governor is bypassing the elected government and attempting to run a parallel administration
Opposition (CPI-M)
Governor and UDF Government
Governor summoning police chief
Opposition (CPI-M)
Vijayan says summoning the police chief without consulting the Chief Minister or the minister concerned violates constitutional principles and Article 163, which does not give the Governor unfettered discretionary powers.
Governor and UDF Government
The Governor's reported direct meeting with the police chief is presented as an exercise of his office that the UDF government has not publicly challenged.
Response to Governor's interventions
Opposition (CPI-M)
Vijayan says the UDF government's silence is being interpreted as submission and it should mount a strong constitutional defence, as the previous LDF government did by writing to Lok Bhavan and directing officials not to attend such meetings.
Governor and UDF Government
The UDF government has maintained silence and a conciliatory approach toward the Governor, which Vijayan characterises as a surrender of the elected government's rights.
- Leader of Opposition
- Pinarayi Vijayan
- Governor
- Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
- State
- Kerala
- Location
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Key legal reference
- Supreme Court's 2016 Nabam Rebia judgment (Article 163)
- Vijayan's party
- CPI-M
- Ruling coalition
- UDF government
- Previous government
- LDF (CPI-M-led)