SFI complains to President over BJP tag in Governor's Instagram handle
The Students' Federation of India alleges that Kerala Governor Om Prakash Mathur's social media handle violates constitutional neutrality.
The Students' Federation of India (SFI) has lodged a complaint with President Droupadi Murmu regarding Kerala Governor Om Prakash Mathur's Instagram handle, according to reports by Deccan Chronicle, Deccan Herald and Siasat.
SFI Thiruvananthapuram district secretary Nandan M.A. sent an email to the President alleging that the handle 'ommathurbjp' links a constitutional office to a political party. The SFI, which is the student wing of the CPM, stated that such a connection goes against the required impartiality and neutrality of a Governor.
The complaint argued that the Governor should act as a custodian of the Constitution rather than a representative of any political party. The SFI noted that Mathur has held previous organisational roles within the BJP and sought presidential intervention to protect the dignity of the office.
Mathur was sworn in as the 29th Governor of Kerala on October 23, taking over from Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who was appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu. Mathur previously served as a Rajya Sabha member from Rajasthan and as the BJP general secretary in charge of Gujarat.
Lok Bhavan has not yet responded to the complaint. Mathur, a former RSS pracharak, also recently faced scrutiny after reportedly instructing Lok Bhavan staff not to prepare non-vegetarian food in the kitchen where his meals are made, though sources clarified this did not restrict the personal food choices of the staff.