Kerala govt Vs Raj Bhavan: Amid tussle, Minister says will include Guv’s constitutional powers in school syllabus

Thiruvananthapuram: A day after staging a walkout from a Scouts and Guides event at Raj Bhavan over the display of a Bharat Mata portrait, Kerala’s Minister for General Education V Sivankutty said on Friday that the school syllabus will include a section on the constitutional powers of the Governor.

His statement, made during a press conference, was seen as a veiled criticism aimed at the Governor’s office, amidst ongoing friction between the state government and Raj Bhavan.

Portrait protest at Raj Bhavan

The incident unfolded on Thursday when Sivankutty exited the event without participating, after noticing a portrait of Bharat Mata displayed on stage. He had reportedly been assured beforehand that such an image would not feature in the programme.

Raj Bhavan clarifies protocol norms

Officials at the Raj Bhavan reiterated that portraits of Bharat Mata, along with rituals such as lamp lighting and floral tributes, are not part of protocol-governed functions such as ministerial oath-taking ceremonies.

However, they clarified that these exclusions apply only to official protocol events. At other functions, such as the Scouts and Guides programme, the display of Bharat Mata portraits and similar gestures are considered routine.

Repeat of earlier controversy

The latest incident echoes a similar protest when Agriculture Minister P Prasad boycotted an Environment Day function at Raj Bhavan, also objecting to the use of a Bharat Mata image.

Following that episode, the state government clarified that the objection was to a version of Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag. Raj Bhavan then approved a revised version showing her with the national tricolour.

Raj Bhavan officials also noted that offering flowers to the portrait is not compulsory, and participants can opt out if they wish.