Thiruvananthapuram | Union Minister V Muraleedharan on Friday slammed the Left Government in Kerala for moving the Supreme Court against the action of Governor Arif Mohammed Khan for not signing certain bills passed by the state legislature.

He said Khan has taken a stand against corruption and what he is trying to do is to protect the interests of the people of the state.

Justifying his not giving assent to certain bills, Muraleedharan said it is the stand of the Governor not to sign such bills which "curtail the powers of Lok Ayukta" and like the one "encroaching into the powers of the university." Talking to reporters here, he charged that the state government was trying to create a circumstance in which nepotism and appointment of their near ones in key posts could be made without any hurdle.

"But, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is trying to protect the interest of the people of Kerala," he said.

The Minister of State for External Affairs further said the Kerala government could do nothing against Khan constitutionally.

In many other cases also, the state government had gone to the Supreme Court in a similar way spending crores of rupees, he said.

What the Left government is doing is just to waste the tax-payers' money, he added.

The Kerala government recently moved the Supreme Court claiming that the Governor was delaying assent to bills passed by the state assembly which was "defeating the rights of the people".