August 29, 2025 06:58 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Ahead of PM Modi's visit, Japan trade negotiator cancels US trip last minute to finalise deal | 'Shameful, people of Bihar won't forgive': BJP condemns 'indecent language' against PM Modi and his mother from Congress-RJD dias | 'Nuke India', 'Kill Trump': Minneapolis Catholic school shooter's messages on guns; video goes viral | Modi's war: US official on Ukrainian conflict; slams India over Russian oil purchase | Calcutta HC asks Bengal govt to stop Durga Puja grants to clubs which failed to submit utilisation certificate | MK Stalin joins Rahul Gandhi's Bihar rally, BJP dares DMK chief to repeat 'insulting remarks against Biharis' | Deadline ends, Trump's additional tariffs on India for Russian oil purchase kick in amid New Delhi's firm stance | Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone in legal soup for 'endorsing faulty car' | India calls killing of journalists in Gaza 'shocking and deeply regrettable' | Joke on disabled: Supreme Court asks Samay Raina, other comedians to display apology on programmes
Lakshadweep Row
Image Credit: facebook.com/prafulpatelbjp

Kerala Assembly passes resolution asking to call back Lakshadweep administrator

| @indiablooms | May 31, 2021, at 06:15 pm

Thiruvananthapuram/IBNS: The Kerala Assembly on Monday unanimously passed a resolution asking to call back Lakshadweep administrator Praful Khoda Patel whose slew of reforms in the union territory have stirred controversy.

The resolution, which was presented by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in the Assembly, was passed by both the ruling Left-led LDF and opposition Congress-led UDF.

"The Administrator, who is challenging the interests of the people, must be removed and the Centre must take immediate action to protect the lives and the livelihood of people of Lakshadweep," Vijayan said in the Assembly as quoted by The News Minute.

"What is happening in Lakshadweep today is an experiment of the Sangh Parivar agenda," the Chief Minister said and added, "The attempt is to impose and implement the saffron agenda and corporate interests in Lakshadweep."

Patel, who was appointed by the BJP government at the Centre in Dec 2020, introduced the proposal of the implementation of the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act, or the Goonda Act in the union territory, which already has a lower crime rate.

As per media reports, locals fear that such an Act will enable the administration to arrest anyone without a trial.

In his explanation, Patel, who is the first politician to assume the administrator's post in a union territory, told The Print that people who have done nothing wrong should not be worried about the new Act.

"Only those who have committed a crime will be penalised, for the others it should not be an issue. In the rest of the country, under the Indian Penal Code there is Section 302 for a reason," he said.

The administrator has sought to bring changes in the panchayat regulations in Lakshadweep, which has no assembly or lawmakers directly elected by common people.

As per the new proposed reforms, any person, who has more than two children, will be ineligible to contest panchayat elections.

The government has also proposed to take control over the administrative powers of Zilla panchayat in matters like education, healthcare, agriculture, animal husbandry and fisheries.

Besides the administrative rejigs, Patel gave nod to open liquor bars to encourage tourism in the island territory which is so far non-alcoholic zone due to its Muslim population.

A ban on beef and an elimination of non-vegetarian food from the menu of Angadwadi children are set to be implemented.

Not just the opposition parties like Left and Congress, eight office bearers of Lakshadweep BJP resigned last week, causing an embarrassment for the country's ruling outfit, which has recently suffered a massive poll defeat in West Bengal.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.
Close menu