An arguably embattled Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, targetted by the Students Federation of India (SFI) for allegedly attempting to saffronise the State’s higher education sector, seems to have found some qualified support from the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) Opposition.
On Tuesday, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K. Sudhakaran sought to alienate his party from the CPI(M)‘s “belligerent opposition” to the Chancellor’s alleged bid to stack the Kerala and Calicut universities Senates with Sangh Parivar nominees.
Mr. Sudhakaran told the media in New Delhi that the Congress would not unthinkingly oppose the Chancellor’s prerogative to nominate academically proficient persons to the Senate irrespective of their political loyalties, with the proviso that the Governor should not misuse the privilege to favour a particular group over others.
Mr. Sudhakaran also seemed to render himself vulnerable to LDF criticism that he was an apologist for the Sangh Parivar by insisting that right wing organisations were also part of Indian democracy and that academics should transcend politics.
The Congress appeared keen to convey that there was no common ground between the Opposition and ruling front in Kerala, ostensibly to stave off BJP’s criticism that the UDF and the LDF were only imaginary foes engaged in political bluster to hoodwink the State’s electorate.
‘Political quid pro quo’
Earlier, the party had stated that its opposition to the Centre’s “trespasses” on fiscal federalism was independent of the CPI(M). The Congress also sought to fend off the CPI(M) allegation that Mr. Khan had nominated Congress and IUML loyalists to the Kerala and Calicut university Senates alongside the “list submitted by the RSS” as a political quid pro quo. Mr. Sudhakaran said a party committee was investigating how UDF names appeared on the Chancellor’s list.
CPI(M) State secretary M.V. Govindan had spotlighted the nominations as proof of the “Congress-League-BJP” axis in the State and suggested that they were reflective of a putative understanding between the parties to undermine the LDF’s prospects in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Mr. Govindan alleged that the Senate appointments pre-empted the UDF from opposing the Chancellor’s alleged bid to saffronise the State’s higher education sector.
IUML leader P.K. Kunhalikutty also appeared to distance his party from the CPI(M)‘s allegedly combative approach to the Governor. He said both parties should thrash out their disagreements democratically instead of resorting to dramatics.
