Om Prakash Mathur, a veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Governor of Sikkim, was sworn in as the Governor of Keralam on Friday, October 23. The oath-taking ceremony was held at Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram, where Kerala High Court Chief Justice Soumen Sen administered the oath of office.

Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan and members of his Cabinet attended the ceremony, along with leaders from various political parties. However, leaders of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), the state’s key opposition alliance, did not participate in the event, according to the report.

Before the oath was administered, the appointment order issued by President Droupadi Murmu was read out. Mathur took the oath in Hindi and formally assumed office. The ceremony concluded with the national song Vande Mataram and the national anthem being played by the band.

Who is Om Prakash Mathur?

Mathur hails from Bedal village in the Bali tehsil of Rajasthan’s Pali district. He graduated from Rajasthan University and entered public life as a pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

During his political career, Mathur served as the BJP’s national general secretary in charge of Gujarat and represented Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha. He was appointed Governor of Sikkim in July 2024 before being named to the Keralam post in the latest gubernatorial reshuffle.

Mathur succeeds Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar

Mathur replaces Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who has been appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu. President Droupadi Murmu announced the gubernatorial appointments on October 12, with the changes taking effect as the appointees assumed charge of their respective offices.

The change comes against the backdrop of disputes between successive Kerala governments and governors over university administration. The governor also serves as the chancellor of the state’s universities, with responsibilities related to their administration.

Previous disagreements over the appointment of vice-chancellors and other senior university officials had led to legal proceedings. Both the LDF and the United Democratic Front (UDF) have raised objections to appointments they alleged involved individuals associated with the BJP and RSS.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a fresh attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning the Opposition’s allegations of vote theft and asserting that the Congress would not return to power for the next 30 years.

Addressing an event in New Delhi, Shah criticised Gandhi over his absence from the country and challenged the Congress’s objections to the Election Commission of India (ECI), arguing that the party accepted the electoral process when it won elections but questioned it after defeats.

The remarks came during an event related to projects for the rejuvenation of the Yamuna, where Shah also targeted the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over their political record in Delhi.

Amit Shah’s warning to Rahul Gandhi

Taking a dig at Gandhi over his reported foreign visit, Shah said the Congress leader would have to remember his words when he returned to Delhi.

The Home Minister argued that the Congress’s political setbacks had begun long before Narendra Modi became Prime Minister and said the party could not attribute its electoral losses solely to allegations of irregularities in elections.

Shah also defended his confidence in the BJP’s electoral prospects, contrasting his prediction of the party remaining in power with the Congress’s prospects under its current political approach.

He asserted that the Congress would not get another opportunity to form a government for the next 30 years. The statement was a political prediction made by Shah, rather than an established electoral outcome.

Shah questions Congress over vote theft allegations

Shah accused the Congress and other Opposition parties of adopting inconsistent positions on the Election Commission, depending on whether election results favoured them.

Citing electoral victories in states including Kerala, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh, he argued that the Congress and its allies had accepted the electoral process when they won.

He questioned why the same institutions and electoral arrangements became subjects of criticism when the Opposition lost elections.

Shah also targeted the Opposition’s protests against alleged electoral irregularities and the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He alleged that the Congress was using vote theft claims to protect the votes of infiltrators.

These were allegations made by the Home Minister and should be understood as his political assertions, not as independently established findings.

Amit Shah targets Opposition’s protest strategy

The Home Minister also criticised the Opposition’s demonstrations in Delhi, arguing that protests could not overturn the public mandate.

He said political parties seeking electoral victories should engage with people and address their concerns rather than rely on demonstrations and allegations against constitutional institutions.

Shah further accused the Opposition of applying different standards to court decisions, suggesting that it welcomed judgments in its favour while questioning those that went against it.

His remarks came amid continuing political disagreements over the electoral process and the Opposition’s criticism of the Election Commission.

Yamuna projects and attack on AAP

During the same event, Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 43 Delhi Jal Board projects worth Rs. 8,941 crore, aimed at improving wastewater treatment, drinking water infrastructure and the rejuvenation of the Yamuna.

He criticised previous governments in Delhi over the river’s pollution and accused the Congress and AAP of failing to address the problem adequately.

Shah also targeted AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, arguing that political parties should be judged by their performance rather than their explanations for failing to deliver results.

He said the BJP would work towards cleaning the Yamuna and improving water and sewerage infrastructure in the national capital.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reiterated the Centre’s commitment to eliminating the drug trade in Punjab by December 31, 2029, drawing a parallel with the government’s claim that it has ended Naxalism.

Speaking at a Vijayadashami event in Ludhiana on Tuesday, Shah said the fight against narcotics would continue until the drug trade was eliminated. He also called on the Punjab government to transfer two additional cases involving people who had opposed the drug menace to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Shah’s remarks came during his visit to Punjab, where he met families affected by deaths linked to the state’s drug problem.

Amit Shah sets 2029 deadline for drug-free Punjab

Addressing the gathering in Ludhiana, Shah said the government had fulfilled several of its commitments, citing the removal of Article 370 and Article 35A, progress against terrorism and the end of Naxalism.

He said the next priority was to eliminate the drug trade.

Shah reiterated his resolve to eliminate Punjab’s drug trade by December 31, 2029, describing the commitment as a tribute to three people whose families he met during his visit.

The Home Minister urged people to share information about the drug trade through the Narcotics Control Bureau’s toll-free helpline, assuring them that the Modi government would take action on the information received.

Shah seeks CBI probes into two more cases

During his Punjab visit, Shah met the families of Bikramjit Singh in Gurdaspur, Gulzar Singh in Sangrur and Parwinder Singh Jhota in Mansa.

Shah met the families and assured them that action would be taken in the cases.

Shah referred to the case involving Parwinder Singh Jhota in Mansa, which had been transferred to the CBI. He urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to transfer the two other cases, associated with Sangrur and Gurdaspur, to the central agency as well.

The Home Minister said the investigations should establish accountability, adding that influential people involved in the cases would not be spared.

Shah criticises Punjab government over drug menace

Shah accused the Aam Aadmi Party-led government in Punjab of failing to control the drug trade. He also criticised the state administration over the treatment of people who had raised concerns about narcotics.

Referring to the spread of ‘chitta’, a term commonly used for heroin in Punjab, Shah said the drug trade had reached villages across the state.

He argued that people speaking out against the menace were facing serious consequences, including death and suicide, and called for stronger action against those responsible.

The Punjab government and the individuals referred to in the allegations should be given an opportunity to respond to specific accusations.

Shah maintained that the Centre would use its available resources to pursue the cases and work towards ending the drug trade in Punjab by the end of 2029.