Former Kerala Governor Arlekar advises President to remove PSC Chairman; The opposition LDF calls unconstitutionally

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar | Photo credit: SIVA SARAVANAN S

In an unprecedented move, former Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has reportedly recommended to the President that Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) chairman MR Baiju be removed over alleged irregularities in the functioning of the recruitment body.

The recommendation was made public barely a few days after Mr. Arlekar left the state and was replaced as Governor by Om Prakash Mathur. He is learned to have sent a communication to President Droupadi Murmu in this regard a week before he was relieved of his duties.

An investigation by the Crime Branch is currently underway into alleged irregularities in the PSC examination for some posts in the State Planning Board.

“Sangh takes aim at PSC”

Calling the governor’s move unconstitutional, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) state secretariat asked the chief minister to 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 proved or brought to court? It is no secret that the Sangh Parivar is targeting the PSC, after the universities in the state,” the CPI(M) statement said.

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said the recommendation to remove the PSC chairman and dissolve the commission was illegal, violation of constitutional provisions and gross abuse of power. Under Article 317 of the Constitution, the president can only remove a PSC chairman or member for misconduct after the Supreme Court has announced that they should be removed following an inquiry.

“No constitutional body”

“The Supreme Court has not conducted any such inquiry into the Kerala PSC members. As a result, the governor has 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 illegal interventions he has made in the state throughout his tenure. This is a conspiracy to undermine the entire recruitment system with all irregularities.” he said.

He further said that Article 163 clearly states that the Governor can act only in accordance with the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers. This means that the Governor has no independent power in this regard. Moreover, under Article 317, the Council of Ministers cannot take any such decision except on the basis of a report based on an inquiry by the Supreme Court. According to him, the action taken by the governor is completely unconstitutional and illegal.

Mr. Vijayan said the move raises concerns about the use of Lok Bhavans for the political agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). There is no precedent in Kerala of PSC being approached with the motive of political vendetta. The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government should clarify its stand and unequivocally oppose any attempt to circumvent constitutional procedures or undermine institutional autonomy, he said in a statement.

“Does the government intend to use this illegal act of the governor as a pretext to dissolve the existing PSC – driven by political partisanship and prejudice – and thereby sympathize with the governor’s move? Or is it ready to condemn the governor’s position? On the other hand, if the government intends to provide support – either directly or indirectly, it will have to pay a heavy price for the illegal acts.” Such a move would pave the way for authoritarian tendencies,” Vijayan said.

Attitude of UDF minister

While most of the UDF ministers who spoke on Sunday supported the governor’s move, AP Revenue Minister Anil Kumar struck a different note, calling it constitutionally inappropriate for the former governor to hastily recommend action without the government’s knowledge when an investigation is underway. Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said the former governor could not be blamed for taking action against a “corrupt institution”. Women and Child Development Minister Bindhu Krishna and Agriculture Minister T. Siddique expressed similar views.

BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed the move and accused the UDF government of covering up CPI(M) irregularities within the PSC. He added that the Governor’s recommendation to the President regarding the PSC serves as a hindrance in efforts to protect the accused.

Published – 25 Oct 2026 21:10 IST