Pinarayi Vijayan tells media not to be negative or toe the line of Opposition

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 18 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday asked the media not to be "negative" even as he chided the Congress-led opposition for speaking without knowing facts of the trip that he and his ministerial colleagues undertook to Europe recently.

Meeting the media following widespread criticism launched by the opposition about his frequent foreign visits and its claims that no one has any idea of how the state had benefitted from them, Vijayan, who had returned last week from the European trip, spent 45 minutes explaining the various meetings the delegation had in Finland, Norway, and the UK.

Seeming peeved when the first question was about the widespread criticism about his visit, he said: "This was not a pleasure trip and I am also surprised that the first question that came was with regards to the controversy. Why is that there is a negative vibe?"

When media pointed out that it was not them, but the Opposition which had pointed out the family members also was there in the trip, Vijayan retorted: "If the opposition fails to understand it, you should not toe the line of the opposition."

"Wherever we went, we were surprised to find out that they had studied in detail about us... all of them hold our state in high regard and you should also understand that they are not Communists," he said.

In reply to a question on a tweet by Governor Arif Mohammed Khan's office that "the CM and Council of Ministers have every right to advise Governor. But statements of individual ministers that lower the dignity of the office of the Governor,can invite action including withdrawal of pleasure", Vijayan said the rights, responsibilities, and the duties of the Governor are clearly mentioned in the Constitution and so are the same of Ministers.

"Even (Constitution's prime architect, Dr B.R.) Ambedkar had said the powers of the Governor are very narrow and even the apex court has also clarified that the Governor should work according to the directions of the cabinet," he said.

"Everything is clearly written and when such a situation is there, can anyone say otherwise," he added.

And in reply to another question the way Khan dismissed 15 Senate members of the Kerala University, the Chief Minister said what he has done is not tenable under the law and moreover the common principle of extending natural justice was also not adhered to.