Send varsities Bill to President: Legal advice to Kerala governor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Friday received a legal advice in favour of referring the controversial universities amendment bills, aimed at removing him as chancellor of state universities, to the President.
Sources close to Raj Bhavan confirmed receipt of the legal advice, but said Khan was yet to decide if he should go by it. It is learnt that the legal advice pointed out the impropriety of the governor taking a call on the bills concerning him. Khan had repeatedly said he would not prefer to be the judge in his own case and had even declared on a few occasions that the bills would be referred to the President. He had, however, recently rejected a legal advice received on CPM leader Saji Cherian’s induction as minister for a second term.
The state government, armed with legal advice from senior Supreme Court lawyers, is determined to take the matter to the apex court if Khan sits on the bills inordinately or refers them to the President. The governor has, meanwhile, instructed the KTU vice-chancellor Ciza Thomas to annul a notification issued by the university registrar for selection of the candidates to various temporary posts bypassing her.