Thiruvananthapuram: CPM state secretariat member and MLA Saji Cheriyan sworn in as state minister on Wednesday afternoon.
Governor Arif Mohammed Khan administered oath to Saji at a small function held at Raj Bhavan on Wednesday evening at 4. Opposition boycotted the event.
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Speaker A N Shamseer, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, members of his Cabinet, few MLAs of the ruling LDF and some Left leaders were present at the simple and brief swearing-in ceremony where Cheriyan took solemn oath to uphold the Constitution and perform his duties according to it.
He was reintroduced into the cabinet six months after he resigned as fisheries minister following the allegations that one of his speeches degraded the Indian Constitution.
The controversial speech was delivered at Pathanamthitta in July 2022.
After attending the tea party hosted by the Governor at Raj Bhavan, Cheriyan drove to his old office at the Kerala Secretariat Annexe where he met mediapersons and expressed hope that he would get the same portfolios he was holding before his resignation. He held the portfolios of Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs prior to his resignation.
CPM state secretariat recently decided to bring him back citing dismissal of a plea seeking disqualification of Saji as MLA by the high court. Police also gave a clean chit to the Alappuzha strongman saying his comments were mere criticism and did not amount to abuse.
On Tuesday, governor Arif Mohammed Khan approved Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's recommendation.
Both the Congress and BJP held protests against reinstatement of Cheriyan.
Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan said Cheriyan had to quit his ministership as he had insulted the Constitution.
"There is no change in the circumstance even now and no court has exonerated him till date. Cases against him are pending before both the magistrate court and high court," he said.
The BJP also staged protests in several parts of the State against the ruling CPI(M)'s decision to re-induct Cheriyan in the Cabinet.
Senior BJP leader Prakash Javadekar inaugurated the party's 'Constitution Protection Day' programme here against the swearing-in of the Minister.
(With inputs from PTI)
Published: 04 Jan 2023, 04:08 pm IST
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