Kerala’s General Education Minister V. Sivankutty walked out of an official function at Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday (June 19, 2025) in protest against the display of an image of Bharat Mata, associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Raj Bhavan, in a statement later, said the Minister’s action was “a gross violation of protocol and a grave insult to the office of the Governor.” Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said there is “no question of doing away with Bharat Mata.”
Raj Bhavan not a platform for RSS agenda, says Kerala Chief Minister amid portrait row
The latest face-off between Raj Bhavan and the Kerala government comes hardly a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the Governor’s office should not be used to promote the ideological agenda of the RSS, referring to the display of images linked to the RSS at Raj Bhavan.
Earlier this month, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad had skipped the government’s Environment Day celebrations at Raj Bhavan over the display of a saffron flag-holding Bharat Mata astride a lion at Raj Bhavan’s central hall, where the event was to be held.
