Photo: Mathrubhumi
Thiruvananthapuram: The LDF has vocally criticized governor Arif Mohammed Khan over the controversy surrounding the Kannur varsity vice-chairperson appointment.
Earlier, Governor has openly stated that he is willing to step down from his role of chancellor of the university due to external influences impeding his decision making. Following this, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Kanam Rajendran have questioned the decision of the governor for his change of stance on re-appointment of vice-chancellor.
The relationship between the governor and the state government fell apart after Governor criticized the appointment of Kalady and Kannur VCs. The allegation stemmed from the fact that instead of giving the panel of names to the governor, only a single individual was put up for the final consent.
Meanwhile, the High Court will be hearing a case over the illegal appointment of the vice-chancellor in the Kannur University. The case will examine whether the appointment was made without following the UGC criteria. It is likely that the state government would be counting on the governor's claim that the appointment was approved under pressure. However, this would prove costly for the governor as he had initially given consent for the appointment.
The CPM would also be looking into the position of Kannur VC Gopinath Raveendran. It is also learnt that the V-C has been informed that he must be ready to tender his resignation. But the CPM believes that such a decision would weaken the government and would be tantamount to endorsing the governor's claim over the controversy surrounding his appointment. Therefore, the government is of the view that a decision can be taken depending on the course of the case.
Meantime, it would also be hard for the governor to deny the fact that he had approved the reappointment of the VC initially. The government is also looking to deal with the issue politically by disagreeing with the stand taken by the governor rather than arm the opposition with the fallen opportunity.
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