Former Keralam Governor Arlekar recommends President to remove PSC chairperson; Opposition LDF calls move unconstitutional

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar | Photo Credit: SIVA SARAVANAN S In an unprecedented move, former Keralam Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has reportedly recommended to the President the removal of Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) chairperson M.R. Baiju over alleged irregularities in the running of the recruitment body.The recommendation came out in the public domain hardly a few days after Mr. Arlekar left the State and has been succeeded by Om Prakash Mathur as the Governor. He is learnt to have sent a communication to President Droupadi Murmu in this regard a week before he was relieved of his duties.A Crime Branch investigation into the alleged irregularities in the PSC examination for certain posts in the State Planning Board is currently progressing.‘Sangh targets PSC’The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] State secretariat, which called the Governor’s move unconstitutional, has demanded that the Chief Minister clarify his stand on the Governor’s recommendation to the President to dissolve the PSC. “Has the government asked the Governor to dissolve the PSC at this stage when no allegation can be proven or presented in court? It is no secret that the Sangh Parivar is targeting the PSC, after the universities in the State,” said the CPI(M) statement.Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said that the recommendation to remove the PSC chairperson and dissolve the commission is unlawful, a violation of constitutional provisions, and a gross abuse of power. Under Article 317 of the Constitution, the President can remove a PSC chairperson or member on grounds of misbehaviour only after the Supreme Court, following an inquiry, has reported that they should be removed.‘No constitutional authority’“No such inquiry has been conducted by the Supreme Court regarding the members of the Kerala PSC. Consequently, the Governor possesses no constitutional authority to make such a recommendation. It appears that the former Governor has made this recommendation as a final act—a continuation of the unlawful interventions he has made in the State throughout his tenure. This is a conspiracy to undermine the credibility of the entire system by alleging irregularities in a single instance of recruitment,” he said.He further said that Article 163 unequivocally states that the Governor can only act in accordance with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. This implies that the Governor possesses no independent authority in this regard. Furthermore, under Article 317, the Council of Ministers cannot take any such decision except on the basis of a report following an inquiry by the Supreme Court. The action taken by the Governor is entirely unconstitutional and unlawful, he said.Mr. Vijayan said that the move raises concerns about the use of Lok Bhavans for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) political agenda. There is no precedent in Keralam of approaching the PSC with a motive of political vendetta. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government should clarify its stand and unequivocally oppose any attempt to bypass constitutional procedures or undermine institutional autonomy, he said in a statement.“Does the government intend to use this unlawful act by the Governor as a pretext to dissolve the existing PSC—driven by political partisanship and prejudice—thereby aligning itself with the Governor’s move? Or is it prepared to condemn the Governor’s stance? On the other hand, if the government intends to provide support—whether directly or indirectly—to the unlawful actions of the Governors, it will have to pay a heavy price. Such a move would pave the way for authoritarian tendencies,” said Mr. Vijayan.UDF Minister’s stanceWhile a majority of the UDF Ministers who spoke on Sunday supported the Governor’s move, Revenue Minister A.P. Anil Kumar struck a different note and called it a constitutional impropriety on the former Governor’s part to hastily recommend the action without the government’s knowledge when an investigation is under way. Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said that the former Governor cannot be faulted for taking action against a “corrupt institution.” Women and Child Development Minister Bindhu Krishna as well as Agriculture Minister T. Siddique expressed similar sentiments.Welcoming the move, BJP State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar accused the UDF government of shielding the CPI(M)’s irregularities within the PSC. He added that the Governor’s recommendation to the President regarding the PSC serves as a setback to efforts aimed at protecting the accused. Published - October 25, 2026 09:10 pm IST