The ties between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and the CPI(M)-led Kerala Government has reached a point of no return as the former accusing the latter of insulting and humiliating him for the last two years.
“Since the day I took over as the Governor of the State, the Government has been humiliating and belittling me on each and every occasion. This is unbecoming of a State administration which I was trying to help,” the Governor told the vernacular language news channels in separate interviews on Friday.
While lambasting the CPI(M)-led Kerala Government for impropriety and favouritism in appointing faculty members and vice-chancellors of the State-owned Universities of which he was the Chancellor, the Governor said the appointment of the wife of a party leader as associate professor in Kannur University was the last straw. “She has no qualifications or experience as mandated by the University.
The appointment was against all norms prescribed by the University Grants Commission. She has no academic qualifications or teaching experience. A person who met all requirements was looked down by the vice chancellor to appease his political masters.
This is not the first instance of this kind happening in the State,” said Arif Mohammed Khan. The Governor also made it clear that he would not sign the legislations to be passed by the Government to curtail his power in the appointment of vice-chancellors or faculties.
“The irresponsible and arrogant stance of the Government have crossed all limits and it is time action was taken against the persons responsible for this behaviour,” he said.
The Governor’s reaction comes a day after the CPI(M) leaders, particularly Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, the party secretary, lampooned the former as a pied piper of the BJP and the Central Government.
In an article published in the party organ Balakrishnan alleged that the Governor was subverting all pro-people policies of the State administration. “There is nothing wrong in the appoint of faculty members in universities.
The LDF Government was very considerate in appointing the best candidates as teachers and vice chancellors,” said Balakrishnan. E P Jayarajan, convenor, of the LDF said that the Governor was acting as an agent of the RSS. “We will not allow him to be the agent of the RSS. We have seen many governors in the past who were highly qualified than Arif Mohammad Khan,” said Jayarajan.