Arif Mohammed Khan's reaction came hours after meeting state Chief Secretary. (File)
Hardening his stand, Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Monday rejected the Left front government's explanation over moving the Supreme Court against CAA without informing him and said it was ''unlawful''.
"No explanation can satisfy me", the Governor told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram this evening, a day after making it clear that he would not remain a "mute spectator" as he sought a report from the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Mr Khan's strongly-worded reaction came hours after state Chief Secretary Tom Jose met him at the Raj Bhavan and explained the grounds under which the state government had filed a suit in the Supreme Court against the citizenship law.
The Chief Secretary, in the brief meeting, was also understood to have informed the Governor that the government had not willfully violated any rules, sources told news agency PTI.
However, the Governor, who was on his way to Ayodhya, told reporters at the airport that no explanation of theirs (government) can satisfy him as what they did was "unlawful" and "not legally correct".
"My view is that approval is needed. They have gone to the Supreme Court without informing me. That is an unlawful act... not legally correct. So their no explanation can satisfy me," he said.
However, Mr Khan maintained that the matter was neither a "clash of egos nor of any personal differences."
In a democracy, individuals are bestowed with brief authority, he said, adding "that authority does not give the license to anybody to violate the law or the rules".
Pointing out that as per legislative assembly rules, the assembly shall not discuss any matter not concerned with the state government, Mr Khan said adding "you have violated rules and laws which you yourself framed".
"Any case which affects the relation between the state and the government of India, it is duty of the Chief Minister to submit to the Governor. And order can be issued only after the submission of the
case to the Governor," he added.
As constitutional head of the state, Mr Khan said he would try his best to ensure that the administration of the state and business of the government was transacted strictly in accordance with the rules laid down in the constitution.
Kerala, Tom Jose, CAA