Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 26 (IANS): A day after he read the first and last paragraph of his address to the state Assembly, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Friday applauded the Centre and took potshots at the Pinarayi Vijayan government while delivering the customary speech at the Republic Day parade.

Khan and Vijayan have been at loggerheads and the same was again witnessed on Friday.

Both sat side by side, but there was no conversation, not even a glance or the customary smiles.

In his address, Khan said, "As we commemorate this day, we bow in utmost veneration to the sacred memory of our nation builders, those who laid down their lives in India’s epic struggle for freedom and those martyred while guarding our freedom and the ethos enshrined in our Constitution.

“At the heart of the values that drive us forward are our commitments to the rule of law and unwavering faith in the supremacy of the citizens of this great country, the largest democracy in the world. Seventy-six years of independent India’s tireless striving for human welfare, progress and remarkable accomplishments has made India an extraordinary success story,” said Khan.

Then Khan showered praises to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said, "We should utilize the spirit of Amrit Kaal to take pride in our cultural heritage and develop a robust self-confidence and strength to realize the dreams of our freedom fighters to build India into a superpower -- an India committed to the welfare of the whole world in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

“India’s upsurge as the world's preeminent country in terms of real-time payments, our exports surpassing the 400 billion Dollar mark, overtaking Europe in terms of 5G user base and the gain of a noteworthy position in global Gross Domestic Product signal our potential for greater progress,” said Khan.

Then turning to cooperative federalism, he said it requires support from all stakeholders including the states of the union.

And then briefly touching upon Kerala’s achievements, he said it is obligatory for the people of such a highly accomplished state to nurture a healthier democracy that encourages constructive public discourse in a spirit of mutual respect and deeper understanding.

“Dissent and differences of opinion are essential ingredients of democratic functioning. But dissent degenerating into violence, be it physical or verbal, is a betrayal of democracy and symbol of human failure. As a society, we should not allow group rivalries or internal struggles for power to affect governance, thereby setting a bad example for the youth,” said Khan.

“Education is the chief means by which a society is transformed. It is the only effective method to purge our minds of old prejudices and orient us against the trivialities of life. The future depends on what we are in our thoughts and actions. For this we need institutions of higher education which are truly autonomous and free from any outside interference that leads the youth to engage in activities which pollute the academic environment,” added Khan.

“The need of the hour is to foster in society a culture of greater civility, empathy, and dialogue that reposes faith in the power of argument and not in the argument of power which goes against the grain of democracy as well as the Indian belief that all people should not be confined to one single interpretation of reality,” said Khan.

After finishing his speech, he sat next to Vijayan and neither acknowledged one another and after the function got over, Khan was the first to leave and left without even the customary goodbye with folded hands or a smile, giving enough indications that the relation between the two continue to be strained.

Now all eyes are on the customary dinner night hosted by Khan at his official residence on Republic Day for the VVIP’s in the state and it remains to be seen if CM Vijayan and his family will arrive.