No confrontation withcourts, says Pinarayi

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the government does not want any conflict with the courts on the Kerala Professional Colleges (Regularisation of Admission in Medical Colleges) Bill.

“The government has not set out on a contest with the courts. That is the first thing that I wish to clarify. What has happened here is this: the future of several students was in jeopardy and everyone began exerting pressure on the government to take steps to protect the interests of the students,” the Chief Minister said in Kochi on Thursday, while explaining the rationale of the Bill passed by the Kerala Assembly on Wednesday.

Health Minister K.K. Shylaja said all that the government had done was to introduce a Bill to replace the ordinance promulgated to save the students from a major predicament. “I had told the students when they approached me that they would do well to look out for other options and that they would lose five years if the court were to decide against them after five years,” she pointed out.

The legal issues involved in the Supreme Court verdict and the question whether the Bill would stand the scrutiny of law now that the Supreme Court has rejected the ordinance which it sought to replace would have to be studied in detail. Only legal experts would be able to say that, she added.

Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan said he had signed the Bill adopted by the Assembly on Wednesday and forwarded it to the government to be forwarded to Governor P. Sathasivam.

‘Verdict preconceived’

Meanwhile, CPI (M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said the Supreme Court verdict nullifying the admission of 180 students was preconceived.

Speaking to reporters in Alappuzha on Thursday, he said: “The Supreme Court has not considered the good intention of the State government on the matter.”