Vijayan urged the Speaker that the policy address approved by the state cabinet should be acknowledged as the official version. The developments in Kerala came on a day when a similar confrontation unfolded in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Reading out personal opinions, selectively altering the Assembly address, or withholding assent indefinitely is not constitutional discretion - it is constitutional defiance," Tagore said. Noting that the Tamil Nadu Assembly represents millions of people, the Congress leader said, "disrespecting the House is not disrespecting a party - it is disrespecting democracy and federalism". "The governor must either uphold the Constitution or stop misusing a constitutional office to create confrontation," Tagore said.

Source: The Telegraph January 20, 2026 11:46 UTC