New Delhi (PTI): Strongly refuting allegations of politicising his constitutional position, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has said he is ready to resign if there is even one instance of him appointing anybody belonging to organisations that are considered "troublesome politically" by the state government.

As the bitter battle between him and the ruling LDF continues in the state, mainly over the appointment of Vice Chancellors to the universities, Khan also asserted that his job is to see that the business of the government is transacted in accordance with the law.

In an interview with PTI here this week, Khan, who has been the state's Governor for three years now, rejected concerns that his position was being politicised.

"Where is the politicisation? I said that for the last three years, you have been saying that I have been implementing RSS agenda. Give me one name, just one instance where I have appointed anybody belonging to organisations whom you find troublesome politically, RSS, BJP... give one name whom using my authority, I have named anybody on anybody or university, I will resign.

"It can be politicisation... if one does such things. I have not done nor is there any pressure on me to do so," he said.

Amid the ongoing tussle between him and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan-led government, Left parties on Tuesday conducted a protest march to the Raj Bhavan in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury had said that there is a situation where the office of the Governor is pitted against the state governments.

"This matter of controlling education is an important aspect of the BJP-RSS political design to convert this secular democratic India into a fascistic Hindutva Rashtra of their liking and for that, they require to control education and the consciousness of our youth," Yechury had said.

In response to a question on his announcement last month that Finance Minister K N Balagopal "has ceased to enjoy my pleasure", the Governor during the interview said the minister tried to stoke the "fire of provincialism" with his comments.

Khan, in an unprecedented action that attracted strong criticism from the state's ruling as well as Opposition parties, had said that a minister who deliberately violates the oath and undermines the unity and integrity of India "cannot continue to enjoy my pleasure". He had also sought "constitutionally appropriate" action against Balagopal and the demand was firmly turned down by the chief minister.

Elaborating on the issue during the interview, the Governor said that he had not withdrawn the pleasure just because the minister said something against him.

"He (Finance Minister) said how a person born in UP can have an understanding of the education system of Kerala. He is trying to stoke the fire of provincialism, of regionalism. He is challenging the unity of India... He is challenging the system, he is challenging the unity of India," Khan said.

He also noted that if somebody from Kerala tries to stoke the fires of provincialism, "how it will affect the Keralites working outside the state?".

About the minister still continuing in the position, the Governor said, "I do not have the power to remove him because it is the choice of the Chief Minister but I will at least let the people of Kerala know. This much I should do in order to discharge my duty, oath which I have taken to serve the interests of the people of Kerala".

In connection with the earlier episode of re-appointing the Kannur University Vice Chancellor which was cleared by him, the Governor said that he had admitted that he was wrong.

"The Advocate General, if you speak in moral and ethical terms, he should have resigned by now. It was he who misled me to believe that what they are asking me to do is not illegal... I put it on the file that what you are asking me to do in my opinion is not proper, it is not legal, it is irregular," Khan said.

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Guwahati, May 15: Skipper Sam Curran played the lead act hitting a well-paced fifty and taking two wickets, as Punjab Kings consigned Rajasthan Royals to a five-wicket defeat in their IPL match here on Wednesday.

The target was a mere 145, but Kings made heavy weather of it on a sluggish track here but Curran (63 not out, 41b, 5x4, 3x6) had a calm head and skills to lift them to their fifth win of the season. PBKS made 145/5 in 18.5 overs.

The Englishman received good support from Jitesh Sharma (22, 20b) as the pair added 63 runs in a fluent fifth wicket partnership.

For Royals, it was their fourth defeat on the trot, but they remained second on the table with 16 points with a qualification to the playoffs to boot with.

The Kings’ chase began on a shaky note as they lost Prabhsimran Singh in the first over itself to Trent Boult.

But bigger jolts were in store as an impressive Avesh Khan (2/28) scalped two wickets in the fifth over.

The right-arm pacer first plucked the important wicket of Rilee Rossouw, who played some strong shots in his 13-ball 22, and then jettisoned in-form Shashank Singh for a two-ball naught.

Shashank failed to connect a fuller, straighter one from Avesh while attempting a flick, and the 141 kmph delivery thudded on his bat. Shashank did not even bother to use DRS as he walked away.

Punjab gained some ground through the alliance between Curran and Jitesh, who smoked R Ashwin for two sixes.

Curran too gave a dose of punishment to the veteran offie, lofting him for a wonderful six over extra cover.

But the blossoming stand was snapped by Yuzvendra Chahal (2/31), leaving PBKS at 111 for five in the 16th over.

However, Curran and Ashutosh Sharma (17 not out, 11 balls) knocked off the remaining runs without further drama.

Earlier, despite a well-tuned 48 from local hero Riyan Parag, RR struggled against an array of accurate bowlers on a rather slow pitch, meandering to a sub-par 144 for nine.

R Ashwin (28, 19b, 3x4, 1x6) and Parag (48, 34, 6x4) tried to accelerate during their 50-run stand for the fourth wicket but it could only bring in a temporary momentum for RR.

In fact, lethargy had set in very early in the Rajasthan innings after the early loss of Jaiswal, who chopped a Curran (2/24) delivery back on to his stumps.

Sanju Samson (18), who went past 500-run in a season for the first time in his IPL career, and Tom-Kohler Cadmore (18, 23b) stitched 36 runs for the second wicket but took six overs for it.

But with Curran and Arshdeep finding a hint of swing and maintaining a good line, scoring was not an easy proposition for the RR batters.

Eventually, Samson, who tried a hopping cut off pacer Nathan Ellis, gave a simple catch to Rahul Chahar at point in the seventh over.

Cadmore too returned to the dugout in the next over, as his almighty heave off leg-spinner Chahar (2/26) could not progress beyond Jitesh in the deep.

Those twin dismissals actually paved the way for the best phase in the Royals’ innings as Ashwin and Parag pressed their foot on the right pedal.

Ashwin displayed his batting skills, smashing Chahar for 17 runs in the 12th over that included a sequence of 6, 4, 4 and the first four was a stunning reverse scoop over backward point.

But he could not further extend his innings, lofting Arshdeep to Shashank.

Parag, usually a free-flowing batter, had to curb his flair in front of a hugely adoring home crowd because of the regular fall of wickets at the other end.

But a late cut off Curran that sped to third man stood as a testament of his ability and timing as he also moved past the 500-run mark for the season, before getting trapped in front of the wicket by Harshal Patel.

However, apart from conquering those little peaks the RR batters failed to slip into the top gear consistently.