The launch of Kerala Raj Bhavan’s quarterly journal, ‘Rajhamsa,’ on Sunday sparked a political confrontation, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and MP Shashi Tharoor both criticizing the governor’s office in the presence of Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar.
This marked Vijayan’s first visit to the governor’s office since the controversy surrounding the Bharat Mata portrait, which had generated significant debate. He took issue with an article in the first edition of ‘Rajhamsa,’ titled “Article 200 and a Constitutional Conundrum,” focusing on the powers of the governor and the legislature. Vijayan remarked, “Just because an article appears in Raj Bhavan’s journal does not mean the government agrees with it,” emphasizing that a democratic society accommodates diverse opinions and dissent.
During the event, Tharoor proposed renaming Raj Bhavan as “Lok Bhavan” to make it feel more like a people’s house, implicitly criticizing the central authority that the governor’s office represents.
Governor Arlekar responded to the criticisms, stating that the journal welcomes various perspectives and that he does not necessarily endorse the views published. He recalled having suggested renaming ‘Raj Bhavan’ at the 2022 Governors’ Conference, describing it as a step toward moving away from colonial legacies.
The event was significant for its avoidance of the controversial Bharat Mata portrait, which was not displayed alongside the national flag and event banner. The governor had previously paid floral tributes to the portrait using a saffron flag during International Yoga Day celebrations, a move that prompted protests and accusations of politicizing the governor’s office and violating constitutional principles.
