Kochi:
Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on Wednesday said the state government cannot be empowered to appoint university vice-chancellors as it would amount to “executive interference”.
The Governor’s statement came a day after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan slammed Khan over his remarks on alleged nepotism in appointments in state universities.
Addressing the press in Kochi in the morning, Mr Khan said, “under qualified and unqualified people, just because they belong to the personal employees of the Chief Minister, they cannot be allowed to be appointed.”
An apparently outraged governor said these institutions belong to the people of Kerala and not to those wearing “little brief rights”, if any, they are welcome and as far as deserving persons are concerned. Regards, there can be no objection to it. them, Khan said.
“The government cannot be given the power to appoint a Vice-Chancellor…I am saying it very clearly…it would be executive interference.” Khan said the CM had earlier written a letter to him in which he had assured that there would be no interference.
“And now they are proposing that they appoint a vice-chancellor. That would mean erosion of the autonomy of educational institutions. As long as I am here, I will not allow erosion of the autonomy of universities,” he said.
When asked about the Lokayukta (Amendment Bill) recently passed by the state assembly, Khan said there is no question of any time limit and “everything will be considered on merit”.
Stating that he has not yet seen the file of the Lokayukta Bill, he said that he has seen the proceedings of the Assembly on the passage of the Bill and news reports in this regard.
He said that there is a basic rule of jurisprudence, which says that if there is a grievance against a person, he cannot decide for his cause.
Welcoming the chief minister’s remarks on the issue of university appointments, Khan said he was happy that Vijayan was at least no longer trying to play the game behind the scenes and came out with a statement openly.
“I am very happy that the Chief Minister has come out in the open. He has given this statement. I welcome his statement. Because now at least he is not trying to play the game from behind the scenes. Now proxies like Irfan Habib. Instead of using it like some Chancellors whom he told to disobey the orders of the Chancellor, at least now he has come out in the open.”
Mr Khan alleged that though an attempt was made to physically assault him at Kannur University sometime back during the History Congress, the police were prevented from registering a case.
“What was the duty of the police? To register the case… Who stopped the police from registering the case? Who kept the home department? You are trying to defame, humiliate the office of the governor. You tried every trick box to pressurize me and intimidate me.”
He wanted to know whether any higher authority prevented the police from taking legal action. “Was it an act of favoritism? Or was the person part of a conspiracy?” Khan also said that though he has been writing to the chief minister for the last three years that it is his constitutional duty to regularly inform the governor, he never paid heed.
The governor said, “I don’t know why he is so afraid to meet me? He wants to talk to me through the media? He is welcome… People have a right to know what the government is doing.”
The Chief Minister had urged the Governor to maintain the dignity of his post during a press conference on Friday.
Responding to Khan’s allegations, he asked, “Is this the meaning of the office of governor?” He was responding to a question on Khan’s statement that he would not allow the University Law Amendment Bill, recently passed by the state assembly, alleging that it seeks to legitimize illegality and “disqualify relatives” of the chief minister’s employees. paves the way for the appointment of his cabinet colleagues.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)