Kerala govt moves environment day celebration out of Raj Bhavan as row breaks out over Bharat Mata's photo
Two weeks after a row over Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ideologue S Gurumurthy's talk on Operation Sindoor at the Kerala Raj Bhavan, another political storm is now brewing in the state – this one over a photo of Bharat Mata. The Kerala Agriculture Department Thursday changed the venue of its world environment day celebrations from Raj Bhavan claiming that the photo of Bharat Mata on display there is 'one used by the RSS'.
This is the first time that the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Kerala government has openly expressed its displeasure with the Raj Bhavan after the current governor, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, assumed office early this year.
The agriculture department had planned the state-level inauguration of the environmental day celebration at Raj Bhavan with the governor as the chief guest. Officials of the agriculture department, who reviewed the preparations of the function at the central hall of the Raj Bhavan, noticed that the picture of the Bharat Mata to be used at the venue was similar to the one generally used by the Sangh Parivar and subsequently, they took up the matter with CPI leader and agriculture minister P Prasad, who took strong exception to the picture.
As a result, the department conducted its own function at the darbar hall of the state secretariat.
Prasad told the media that the government had planned the event at Raj Bhavan but changed its venue after an impasse with the Governor over the photo.
'The picture of Bharat Mata displayed at the venue (central hall of the Raj Bhavan) is one that is used by RSS. A seat of a constitutional body should not use that. Constitutionally, it is not proper to use that picture at a government function. The Governor insisted on using that picture itself, but we could not agree with that decision. So, the government function was shifted out of Raj Bhavan,' he said.
But sources at the Raj Bhavan said the minister could not dictate what should be or should not be used at the Raj Bhavan. He also said the programme went ahead as planned at the Raj Bhavan and 'was attended by the Governor and officials'.
'When a function is being held at Raj Bhavan, the minister cannot dictate what should be used and what should not be used. The minister has no right to say which picture of Bharat Mata should be used,' one source said.
This comes two weeks after the Raj Bhavan's talk by Gurumurthy on 'Operation Sindoor: Paradigm shift from candle light to Brahmos', drew criticism from the Opposition Congress, which objected to 'the Raj Bhavan being converted into the RSS headquarters'.
The party reacted similarly to the latest development, with Opposition Leader V D Satheesan saying it 'was not proper' to use that picture of Bharat Mata at Raj Bhavan. 'Weeks ago, the RSS ideologue Gurumurthy was brought to Raj Bhavan for a talk and he spoke insulting former prime ministers. Why is chief minister Vijayan silent on it? He is afraid of speaking about the Governor. Raj Bhavan is a constitutional body and it should not be made a venue for such political programmes,' he said.
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