Kerala Assembly passes resolution to call back Lakshadweep administrator

The Kerala legislative assembly on Monday passed a resolution urging the Centre to call back Praful Khoda Patel, the administrator of Lakshadweep, reported PTI. It has also sought the central government’s intervention in the union territory’s (UT) issue.

The resolution was moved by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who said there was an attempt to destroy the archipelago’s lifestyle and ecosystem.

Patel, who assumed the charge of the UT in December last year, is being widely criticised over a slew of his policy decisions. These include the ban on beef and unilaterally lifting the restrictions on alcohol in the Muslim-majority UT. The Opposition has also alleged that Patel, who is a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, demolished the sheds of fishermen in coastal areas and signed orders to retrench some 200 contract staff who were working as marine watchers for conserving marine biodiversity.

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Vijayan asserted that there was an attempt to implement the ‘saffron agenda’ through the backdoor.

“The attempt is to impose and implement the saffron agenda and corporate interests in Lakshadweep,” the CM said, reported PTI.

It’s the first resolution that was passed in Kerala’s newly-constituted Assembly, following the April 6 elections.