In an unprecedented move that is bound to intensify the ongoing feud between Raj Bhavan and the State Government, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Sunday evening directed all the nine Vice-Chancellors of the State-owned universities to submit their resignations before 11.30 AM on Monday.
The directive, issued through the social media handle of the Governor, comes within hours of the CPI(M) announcing a statewide agitation against the high-handed behaviour of the Governor.
“Upholding the verdict of Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 21.10.22 in Civil Appeal Nos.7634-7635 of 2022(@ SLP(c)Nos.21108-21109 of 2021) Hon’ble Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan has directed Vice-Chancellors of nine varsities in Kerala to tender resignation.
“Letters directing Vice-Chancellors of nine universities of Kerala to tender their resignation by 11:30 AM on 24 October 2022, have been issued. The letter is also emailed to V-Cs and Registrars of varsities concerned”, said the messages posted by Public Relations Officer, Raj Bhavan.
On Friday, the Supreme Court declared null and void the appointment of MS Rajasree as the Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University as the appointment was in violation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) guidelines.
The Governor’s directive caught the establishment off guard as there was no time for it to approach the court for a stay with Monday being a Diwali holiday for the courts. The Governor, while addressing a meeting at Ernakulam on Saturday said in his speech that the Constitution as well as the Supreme Court, have made the role of the Governor clear.
Reacting to the Governor’s directive to the Vice-Chancellors, MV Govindan, State Secretary of the CPI(M), said it was a “mad” decision by the Centre-appointed Governor.
“The BJP knows too well that it is going to lose the 2024 Lok Sabha election and the party would never come to power in India again. Hence it is making use of the Governor to get RSS and Sangh Parivar elements appointed as Vice-Chancellors in universities. We will not allow the writ of the Governor in Kerala. He is acting as an RSS worker,” said Govindan.
Minister for Higher Education R Bindu, who is also the spouse of CPI(M)leader Vijayaraghavan said it was unfortunate that the Governor was acting in a most undemocratic manner.
“This is an effort to create total anarchy in the higher education sector in the State. The Kerala Government will face this situation and protect the education sector from the attacks of the Sangh Parivar,” she said. Former Education Minister ET Mohammed Basheer MP, too, said the Governor’s action was not with good intentions. “At no point of time democracy has come under severe threat and pressure like this,” he said.
But K Ramkumar, senior advocate and constitutional expert, is of the view that the Governor is within his right to ask for the resignations of the Vice-Chancellors. “Though the October 21 verdict by the Supreme Court was on the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of the technical university, the same verdict is applicable to others, too, as all of them were appointed in violation of UGC guidelines,” said Ramkumar.