Several pro-Left service organisations held a mass demonstration in front of Kerala Raj Bhavan on Saturday, accusing Governor Arif Mohammed Khan of attempting to ‘saffronise’ State universities.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] central committee member A.K. Balan, who inaugurated the protest meet, charged Mr. Khan with violating Constitutional norms by undermining the State Legislature.
A reminder
Accusing the Governor of failing to maintain the decorum of his office and behaving in an undignified manner, unlike his predecessors, the former Law Minister recounted former Governor P. Sathasivam’s commitment towards upholding his Constitutional duties by signing Bills that were passed by the Kerala Assembly, even after voicing his apprehension over the legal validity of some of the legislation.
He cited the instance when the Assembly had unanimously passed a contentious Bill to regularise the admissions of 180 students in Kannur Medical College in Anjarakandy and Karuna Medical College in Palakkad during the previous Pinarayi Vijayan government’s rule. “Despite being fully aware that the proposed law would not stand legal scrutiny, the Governor had chosen to give assent to the Bill to respect the will of the people. The admissions were later cancelled by the Supreme Court along expected lines.” the senior CPI(M) leader said, while adding that Mr. Khan has failed to follow suit by delaying his decision on several crucial Bills for nearly two years.
‘Sangh Parivar agenda’
Mr. Balan alleged the Governor’s decision to nominate Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members and many of its fellow travellers to the Senates of Kerala and Calicut Universities is part of a Sangh Parivar agenda to subvert secularism and infiltrate into the decision-making bodies of educational institutions. “The ploy had an ulterior motive of implementing several of the Centre’s policies including the National Education Policy 2020,” he said.
CPI(M) State secretariat member P.K. Biju, NGO Union general secretary M.A. Ajith Kumar, and Kerala Gazetted Officers’ Association general secretary S.R. Mohanachandran spoke on the occasion.
