Kerala CM slams Governor, High Court grants special sitting today for plea against order seeking resignation of V-Cs
The Hindu
The High Court granted a special sitting on the Deepavali holiday for the government to challenge the Chancellor's order seeking the resignation of nine Vice-Chancellors
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan delivered a sharp riposte against what he described as Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan's authoritarian-style campaign against Kerala's higher education sector.
At a press conference in Palakkad, Mr. Vijayan responded mockingly to Mr. Khan's demand that Vice-Chancellors resign by 11.30 a.m. on Monday.
Mr. Khan had sought their stepping down, given the Supreme Court's cancellation of M. S. Rajasree's appointment as the Vice-Chancellor of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU).
Mr. Vijayan contended that the Governor, as Chancellor of varsities, had fallaciously interpreted the Supreme Court ruling applied across the board to all State university Vice-Chancellors.
Mr. Vijayan said Mr. Khan forgot the order was subject to further judicial review.
The Chancellor had used the decision as a foil to hobble Kerala's higher education sector and further the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) agenda to destabilise the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government.
He said Mr. Khan had denied the Vice-Chancellors' their right to reply. His actions ran against the grain of natural justice.