PremiumGovernor Arif Mohammad Khan has no authority to seek resignations of VCs, Kerala CM inarayi Vijayan has said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, On October 24, slammed Governor Arif Mohammad Khan for asking the vice chancellors of nine state universities to quit. The governor, according to Vijayan, lacks such authority and is acting in defiance of both the Constitution and the fundamental principles of democracy.
Khan requested the resignation of the vice chancellors of nine universities in the state on October 23, citing a recent Supreme Court decision that invalidated the appointment of the VC of the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University in this city for violating University Grants Commission rules.
The Raj Bhavan said Khan, as Chancellor of universities in the state, had also issued directions for the resignations to reach him by 11.30 am on October 24.
Vijayan said that the Governor's action infringed on both the autonomy of universities and the authority of a democratically elected government. A day after Khan sparked a political uproar by demanding the resignation of the vice chancellors of nine state institutions, Vijayan criticised the unusual action and accused Khan of "waging war" with the aim of "destroying" the state's universities.
According to the chief minister, the governor appointed the vice chancellors of these nine universities. If such selections were made improperly, the governor bears the principal responsibility. The chancellor is also not authorised to request that the vice chancellors quit, he said.
As a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) tool, Arif Mohammad Khan, is misusing his authority to try to sabotage the operation of the state's universities - according to Vijayan.
"Governor is misusing the Chancellor post to exercise more powers than he holds. It is undemocratic and encroachment on the powers of the Vice Chancellors. The Governor's post is not to move against the government but to uphold the Constitution's dignity. He's acting as a tool of RSS," Vijayan said.
(With PTI inputs)