Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Tuesday, January 3, approved Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's recommendation to re-induct CPI(M) leader Saji Cheriyan as minister, source said.

Governor Khan told reporters, who mobbed him at the airport on his arrival from New Delhi, that the charge against Saji Cherian was that he lowered the dignity of the Constitution. Governor hinted that the accusation bore gravity, and Raj Bhavan could ill afford to gloss over it casually.

“In normal circumstances, in my opinion, it is essential that the Governor accept the Chief Minister’s recommendation. But Saji Cherian’s proposed return to power in the government is totally different. Saji Cherian is not being sworn in for the first time,” he said.

Governor said he had “not made up my mind” on administering Saji Cherian the oath of office. “The circumstances are entirely different this time. It is not a normal induction. I will look at the papers, the background of the case, and at what level Cherian was exonerated, if at all,” he said.

An adverse decision from the Governor could put the government in a legal and constitutional quandary. In spite of the acrimonious war of words between the Governor and the ruling front and the distinct chill in relations, the government has not sought recourse to the seldom-trodden path of seeking the Governor’s withdrawal.

The dispute may potentially give rise to legal actions that contest the scope of the governors' authority and raise issues about their place in a federal structure. Their result might have significant constitutional repercussions.

Earlier, the Governor had to lead the administration through similar tense circumstances. For starters, he hesitated to adopt the policy declaration on the eve of the preceding Budget session in January 2022, making the ruling front perspire.

Governor's refusal to sign the University Laws (Amendment) Bill and the Kerala Lok Ayukta (Amendment) Bill into law further strained ties between Raj Bhavan and the government.

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