Kerala Opposition Urges Governor to Block Hastily Passed Bills

The Congress-led UDF opposition in Kerala wrote to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, urging him not to approve two bills passed by the state assembly without discussion. The bills, related to local body ward divisions, were passed amid opposition protest and without opposition participation, violating legislative procedures.

The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) opposition in Kerala has called on Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to withhold approval of two bills hurriedly passed by the state assembly on June 10, 2024. The UDF argues these bills were passed without the mandated legislative discussion.

Congress Parliamentary Party Secretary A P Anil Kumar emphasized in his letter to the Governor that the Kerala Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Kerala Municipality (Second Amendment) Bill, 2024, bypassed the usual legislative procedures and were approved amidst opposition protests against allegations of bribery. The opposition was demanding a Vigilance and Anti-Corruption probe at the time.

Kumar questioned the government's urgency in passing these bills based on outdated 2011 census data, while a new census is anticipated soon. The opposition asserts that the move undermines democratic principles and excludes opposition voices, which is a significant deviation from precedents. Despite opposition leader V D Satheesan's written protest, Speaker A N Shamseer cited the need for timely local body election preparations as a reason for rapid bill approval.

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