CM Pinarayi Vijayan attends event at Governor House following Bharat Mata portrait controversy; voices dissent over Raj Bhavan’s new quarterly journal
(source : ANI) ( Photo Credit : ani)
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stepped into Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday for the first time since a heated controversy erupted over a Bharat Mata portrait featuring a saffron flag. The visit marked the launch of Rajhamsa, a fresh quarterly journal from the Governor’s office, with Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar joining the event.
Vijayan handed over the inaugural copy of Rajhamsa to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, keeping the focus on the new publication. Interestingly, the controversial Bharat Mata portrait stayed out of sight on stage—only the Indian national flag and the event banner took center stage.
During the ceremony, Vijayan voiced his concerns about one article in the journal’s debut issue. He made it clear that the piece reflected the author’s personal views, not the Kerala government’s position. “Ours is a dialogic society,” Vijayan said while the governor sat nearby. “Articles that reflect perspectives different from, or even opposed to, the government may appear in this journal. For instance, the very first edition carries an article titled ‘Article 200 and a Constitutional Conundrum,’ which discusses the powers of the Governor, the Legislature, and related constitutional issues. These opinions are not necessarily those of the government; they represent the author’s individual views.”
The chief minister added that Kerala’s democratic space, shaped by the Renaissance legacy, welcomes dissent and opposing viewpoints without ruffling government feathers.
Governor Arlekar responded to reporters afterward, saying, “I never said that whatever is written reflects my opinion. It is open for anyone to express views in the journal.” He stayed silent on Vijayan’s direct critique during the event, simply asking Tharoor to explain what the chief minister had said.
Tharoor, meanwhile, proposed renaming Raj Bhavan to Lok Bhavan, calling it the “people’s house.” The governor praised the idea, noting it echoes a suggestion he made at the 2022 Governors Conference in Rashtrapati Bhavan. “It’s important to discard colonial legacies,” Arlekar said, giving a nod to moving away from old traditions.
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