Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 27 (IANS): Amid the ongoing political tussle between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Kerala, the latter has slammed the former on Saturday.

The country is celebrating the 73rd anniversary of the adoption of Indian Constitution. In a statement to mark the historic occasion, Vijayan said the time is apt for everyone to unite and take a fresh pledge that there should not be any aberrations to the Constitution and protect it.

"The basic tenets of democracy is to ensure that elected state governments should be given equal rights to that of the Centre when it comes to the development agenda, but of late that has come under duress. It's at this juncture that those who wield constitutional positions are used to destabilise elected state governments and that's one challenge at this point of time, when the 73rd anniversary is being held," said the Chief Minister.

"This cannot be seen lightly and to deal with such challenges as we are duty-bound to protect it, we should renew our pledge that we will do it," he added.

Vijayan's indirect barb comes at a time when both Khan and the former are at loggerheads with frequent verbal duels taking place with each blaming the other and now all eyes are on December 5, when a special session has been proposed to float a new bill which removes the Governor from the post of Vice-Chancellor.

The Governor has been going hammer and tongs against the Chief Minister for turning universities in the state as departments of the CPI(M) and the case of Khan asking the vice-chancellors of 10 universities in the state to resign is now before the Kerala High Court.