Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday skipped almost the entire policy address of the state government, which he was to read out in the Assembly and which was critical of the Centre, continuing his feud with the Left Democratic Front government.

Among others, the prepared text accused the Union government of denying the state’s legitimate share of tax revenues, exacerbating its fiscal situation.

While the state government reacted cautiously, the Opposition accused the governor of insulting the Assembly.

Khan, who entered the Assembly at 9am, began his address two minutes later and completed it in 1 minute and 17 seconds. He read out only the first and last of the 136 paragraphs in the 61-page text.

After reading the first paragraph, the governor said: “And now I am reading the last para.”

The last sentence of the last paragraph read: “Together as part of this varied and beautiful nation we will weave the tapestry of inclusive growth and responsible resilience, overcoming all the challenges that are thrown our way.”

He swiftly left the House following the national anthem, as dazed government and Opposition benches watched the drama.

Sources said the governor’s act had no precedent in Kerala history.

Governors are meant to deliver the policy address at the start of the budget session of the Assembly every year. Khan had in his policy address of 2020 read out remarks against the central government’s CAA despite being already engaged in a running battle with the Left government.

Kerala law minister P. Rajeev was circumspect, underlining that the governor had, technically, “accepted” the policy address. “It’s as good as reading out the whole policy address. And the last para contains the essence of the statement,” he told reporters.

But leader of the Opposition and Congress member V.D. Satheesan told a news conference: “It is a gross humiliation of the Assembly procedures and principles of the Constitution…. We register our strong protest against the governor insulting the Assembly.”

Deputy leader of the Opposition P.K. Kunhalikutty, an Indian Union Muslim League member, too attacked the governor.

“He walked in and left like a rocket. There is a tradition of greeting us (Opposition benches). We were waiting to greet him. But he just walked away. So, today, he converted the Assembly session into a mere mockery. This is an insult to the Assembly.”

The skipped portions of Thursday’s policy address included references to the “liquidity stress stemming from the vertical imbalance between the Union and the states in fiscal matters”.

“Kerala witnessed a decline in its share of taxes devolved by the Union government from 3.88 per cent during the 10th Finance Commission period (1995-2000) to a mere 1.92 per cent during the 15th Finance Commission period (2021-2026),” the text said.

“In 2023-24, the discontinuation of GST compensation, a reduction in revenue deficit grant, and restrictions imposed on off-budget borrowings of the state by the Union exacerbated the fiscal condition of the state.”