Thiruvananthapuram ∙ Governor Arif Muhammad Khan is set to make a decision today on the Prime Minister’s recommendation to reinstate Saji Cherian to cabinet. It is likely that Prime Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will be asked for an explanation in this regard. The uncertainty about tomorrow’s oath continues. The Governor’s signal is that he will not give in easily to the Prime Minister’s request.
The Governor pointed out that the case is an insult to the dignity of the Constitution and that is unusual. He had to resign in a situation that not even the Prime Minister could accept. He will check if the situation has changed. It cannot be said that the healing process is natural.
A notice was received from the Prime Minister asking him to re-swear Saji Cherian as minister. Seeking legal advice in this regard is a natural course of action. It will be checked and a decision will be made. The opinion of the legal adviser will be taken into consideration. After returning to Thiruvananthapuram, he said the decision will be made later.
The Governor has a duty to take the Minister’s oath if requested by the Prime Minister. The prime minister has the power to retire the minister even if he has lost favor with the governor. In this scenario, the governor will mainly decide whether Saji Cherian will be acquitted of the court case for making unconstitutional speeches. The Prime Minister did not explain why when he resigned and when he was offered to be minister again.
The Governor may ask why the resigning is sworn in again. The governor will ask why he resigned, why he is being sworn in again, whether the case related to this is pending in court, etc. If the explanation is satisfactory, the oath will be administered. Or the governor can wait for the court’s decision. Raj Bhavan’s assessment is that there are no urgent situations to swear by Saji Cherian. The Prime Minister had recommended to the Governor that the oath be administered tomorrow afternoon.
English summary: Legal advice to the governor to obtain details in the case against Saji Cherian
