Always vigilant spelling, grammar of life don’t go wrong, says V-C day after Kerala Governor’s censure

Khan has been critical of Pillai, and subsequently the CPI(M)-led LDF government in the state, over the V-C’s purported reluctance to consider his recommendation for conferring an honorary DLitt on President Ram Nath Kovind. Pillai had sent the letter concerned to Khan on this issue.

Maintaining that Pillai’s reluctance stemmed from “instructions” from “someone”, Khan had on Monday said that his “head hung in shame” after seeing the “language and style’’ of Pillai’s letter, and the latter’s explanation. “…Pity, the V-C can’t write two sentences properly…. This is the quality of a V-C. This university is one of the oldest in the country…. I was stunned how anyone can use such language,’’ he had said.

In a statement released to the media on Tuesday, Pillai said, purportedly referring to their encounter at Raj Bhavan, when called by the Governor, “Trembling of hands when the mind is shaken is not seen by me as a shortcoming. I have always tried to imbibe good lessons from the gurus. I am not going for more reaction on this.”

Pillai had sent the letter concerned to Khan on December 7, 2021, stating that Syndicate members of the university had turned down the Governor’s recommendation to confer honorary DLitt on the President.