SFI complains to President over BJP tag in Keralam Guv’s Instagram handle

Thiruvananthapuram: The SFI has complained to President Droupadi Murmu against Keralam Governor Om Prakash Mathur for allegedly including the BJP’s name in his official Instagram handle, alleging that it violates the political neutrality expected of a constitutional office-holder.

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) is the students’ outfit of the opposition CPI (M).

In an email complaint to President Droupadi Murmu, SFI Thiruvananthapuram district secretary Nandan MA said the use of a political party’s name in the social media account of a sitting Governor was contrary to the constitutional principles of impartiality and neutrality.

The complaint pointed out that Mathur’s Instagram handle was named ‘ommathurbjp’ and said such an association with a political party could adversely affect public trust in constitutional institutions.

It said a Governor was expected to function as the custodian of the Constitution and not as a representative of any political party.

Citing Mathur’s earlier association with the BJP, including his stints in various party posts, the SFI sought the President’s intervention to uphold the dignity and neutrality of the Governor’s office.

The Lok Bhavan is yet to respond to the complaint.

Mathur was sworn in as the 29th Governor of Keralam on October 23, succeeding Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who has been appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu.

Hailing from Bedal village in Rajasthan’s Pali district, Mathur graduated from Rajasthan University and entered public life as an RSS pracharak. He later served as the BJP general secretary in charge of Gujarat and as a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan.