Kochi: Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty was accused of insulting the Governor R V Arlekar by violating the protocol during a function on Thursday.
In a press release, The Raj Bhavan accused Sivankutty of leaving the venue without informing the Governor setting a “wrong precedent” before students.
The release said that the minister’s gesture was a “gross violation of protocol” and a “grave insult” to the office of the Governor.
The Minister came with a prepared speech, an indication of an impending showdown. It is a pity that the Education Minister admitted to the audience that the portrait of Bharatamba is not familiar to him,” the statement read.
After presenting the awards at the Raj Bhavan, Sivankutty walked out of the event at the Raj Bhavan protesting over the display of the Mother India flag which he described as a symbol associated with the RSS.
Sivankutty, who is the president of the state Scouts and Guides, announced his decision to boycott the function.
On an earlier occasion, the agriculture department shifted a government programme from Raj Bhavan to the Secretariat on the same ground.
The Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had “Raj Bhavan should not be turned into a place for implementing RSS agendas.”
Raj Bhavan flays Sivankutty
