Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 4 (PTI) The controversy surrounding the alleged recommendation by the Kerala Governor to confer D.Litt on the Indian President heated up further on Tuesday with Arif Mohammed Khan saying that queries on the issue by Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly V D Satheesan "does not deserve a reply".

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In response to this, Satheesan shot back that the Governor was not exempt from criticism under the Constitution and if he violates any Constitutional or statutory provisions then he will be criticised.

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He also alleged that the Governor has become the mouthpiece of the BJP ever since the Citizenship (Amendment) Act was passed.

The LoP, while speaking to reporters, said that when a citizen does not have the right to say that he will not abide by the Constitutional or statutory provisions or law, then from where does the Governor get this right?

"How can he say he will not perform his statutory duty of being the Chancellor," Satheesan said and added that if the Governor acts like this, he will be criticised.

Khan on Tuesday said the comments by Satheesan regarding the alleged recommendation to confer D.Litt on Indian President "does not deserve a reply".

The Governor also said that people should be "ashamed to indulge in such irresponsible behaviour" without going through the law or the Constitution.

Khan's statement came on a query by reporters seeking his response to the recent remarks by the LoP regarding the alleged recommendation made by the Governor to confer Kerala University's honorary D.Litt on President Ram Nath Kovind.

On being asked about his stand on the LoP's remarks, the Governor took out a notepad and read out in Malayalam -- "marupadi arhikkunilla" -- which means 'it does not deserve a reply'.

He also said that the fact he is asking the state government to take away from him the powers of the Chancellor, indicates that there is something serious.

Khan also said that national institutions like the offices of the President of India and the Governor "should not be made subject to public controversy".

Later in the day, Satheesan said that the Governor was wrong to succumb to state government pressure and permit re-appointment of the Kannur University's Vice Chancellor (VC).

But once he changed his view on that and admitted that it was a mistake, the Governor ought to have taken "corrective steps" by either seeking the VC's resignation or initiating proceedings for his removal, Satheesan contended.

However, instead of taking any corrective steps and to indirectly support the state government decision on the Kannur University VC re-appointment, the Governor refused to accept the notice sent by the Kerala HC to the Chancellor on a plea seeking removal of the varsity's VC, the Congress leader alleged.

Satheesan also alleged that the Governor keeps changing his stance and there is no consistency in his stand.

On the D.Litt controversy, Satheesan said the Governor has not even once said that he made any such recommendation.

"He (Governor) should have the courage to say he made the recommendation, if he has done so. Else he should say, he has not," the LoP said.

It appears that the Governor is scared of the Chief Minister, he claimed and added that Khan has not opposed the state government on anything.

Khan had a few days ago termed as "irresponsible" and "ignorant" the statements that he had recommended conferring of Kerala University's honorary D.Litt on President Kovind.

"What I have to speak, I have spoken. I am not going to respond to irresponsible statements. I cannot react to ignorant statements. I am not going to respond to statements made out of sheer ignorance," Khan had said to reporters when asked whether he had made any recommendation to confer D.Litt on President Kovind.

His comments had come in the wake of senior Congress leader and MLA Ramesh Chennithala alleging that the state government had rejected the recommendation from the Governor to confer D.Litt on the President and the subsequent statement by Satheesan that "if the Governor had inappropriately recommended anyone's name for D.Litt, then it's illegal".

Khan, who is at loggerheads with the state government over alleged political interference in the functioning of the universities, had said on December 30 that he was even ready to transfer the powers of chancellor to the Higher Education minister, who is also the pro-chancellor of the varsities.

The Governor had earlier also said he ceased to function as chancellor from December 8.

Attacking Khan, the opposition Congress had said that his stand to not continue as the chancellor was "illegal" and he was not supposed to "talk like a child."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)