The CPI(M) accused Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Tuesday of advancing the political objectives of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by attempting to destabilise the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government in the state.

Addressing a press conference here, Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that Khan's actions had no sanction of the Constitution.

"The CPI(M) Central Committee strongly denounced the steps being taken by the governor of Kerala to advance the political objectives of the BJP to destabilise the LDF government. How he demanded the resignation of the vice-chancellors of various universities in the southern state and later, the resignation of the state finance minister, has no sanction of the Indian Constitution.

"The governor, in his capacity as the chancellor of the universities in the state, has no authority given by the University Acts passed by the state legislature to initiate such actions," he said.

Yechury further said these steps taken by the governor target Kerala's secular, democratic, and scientific higher education system to "facilitate the promotion of the Hindutva ideological agenda and control higher education".

He said the Left party will discuss the issue of governors with all the political parties in the states that are not ruled by the saffron party.