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‘Bharat Mata' portrait pits LDF against Kerala Governor, again. ‘Turning Raj Bhavan into party office'
'I congratulate all the students who received the award. This is the highest honour in Scouts and Guides. But I want to draw the attention of the Honourable Governor to one issue. This event is co-organised by the State Government and the Raj Bhavan. Yet, an image representing a political party has been displayed here. It is inappropriate to pay tribute to that image. I strongly condemn this,' Sivankutty said in a video later shared on his Facebook page.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty boycotted the Scouts and Guides Rajyapuraskar award ceremony, leaving the Raj Bhavan shortly after extending his wishes to the children.
Thiruvananthapuram: A Kerala minister boycotted a Raj Bhavan event Thursday over the display of a Bharat Mata portrait in the second such incident this month, marking yet another low in the tussle between the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and Governor Rajendra Arlekar.
He alleged that this was part of a move to turn the Raj Bhavan into 'a political party office'.
This comes just weeks after Agriculture Minister P. Prasad boycotted another Raj Bhavan event on World Environment Day objecting to the presence of a Bharat Mata portrait. Prasad later held a separate event at the Secretariat. The opposition Congress party had extended support to the minister.
'The Governor must understand that Indian nationalism is rooted in the Constitution. It is not based on a singular cultural identity, but on an inclusive and democratic vision enshrined in our Constitution. This must be clearly asserted,' Sivankutty said in his statement.
He further stated that India is not a monolithic entity constructed around any single symbol, image, or form, and that Indian nationalism draws its strength from its diversity.
'Describing the image of a woman holding a saffron flag as the sole symbol of Indian patriotism ignores this fundamental reality. The idea of India does not reside in mythology or imagination. It lives in the sovereignty of its people, the rule of law, and the constitutional guarantees of justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity,' the minister added, saying the Governor must remember that Indian patriotism means upholding constitutional values and safeguarding diversity.
However, Governor Rajendra Arlekar responded by asserting that there is no question of removing Bharat Mata from public spaces. 'There is no question of doing away with Bharat Mata, as we draw our idea of patriotism and nationhood from Bharat Mata,' the Raj Bhavan said in a statement, quoting the governor.
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also criticised the Governor for the display of a Bharat Mata portrait in his office. In a Thiruvananthapuram press briefing, Vijayan said the Governor's residence must remain neutral and should not become a platform for political propaganda.
Earlier this week, members of the Students' Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the ruling CPI(M), held a protest march to the Raj Bhavan against the display of portraits of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologues Golwalkar and Hedgewar at the Governor's residence.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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