Congress too lashes out at Guv Khan for seeking action against Kerala minister

Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition Congress joined the ruling Left government in Kerala to criticise Governor Arif Mohammed Khan for threatening to sack Finance Minister KN Balagopal over a remark he had made recently which Khan deemed was an indirect dig at him.

Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan said that the Governor is not "the God who cannot be questioned".

He reminded Khan that it was the Opposition who criticised him even before the ministers.

"Has any Governor ever demanded the withdrawal of a minister anywhere in the history of India?" Satheesan posed.

"He can withdraw the senate members of the universities if needed," the Congress leader added.

While criticising the Governor for exercising powers that he does not have, Satheesan also reprimanded the State government for the flouting of UGC norms when making appointments to state varsities.

He pointed out that both the CPM-led government and the Governor, who also hold the post of Chancellor of state varsities, were equally responsible.

He said the recent Supreme Court verdict regarding the appointment of Vice Chancellors was against both of them.

"The Supreme Court pointed out that all VC appointments, made jointly by the Governor and the Government in violation of the UGC norms, are illegal... So, a fake fight is now going on between the Governor and the Government to deceive the people in order to hide the verdict," Satheesan said.

It was Governor Khan's sacking of 15 senate members from Kerala University for failing to discharge their duties that triggered the latest tiff between him and the Kerala government.

Chief among the duties were directions to suggest a nominee to the university's selection committee tasked with the appointment of a vice-chancellor.

Khan alleged that the Senate members were colluding with the government to post Left sympathisers on the panel in an effort to secure plush seats for close associates of ministers or their aides.

He cited this as the reason for the slow ruin of educational institutions in the state.

On Sunday, citing an October 21 Supreme Court that stayed the appointment of MS Rajashree as the vice-chancellor of the Technological University for violating UGC norms, Khan ordered the vice-chancellors of nine other varsities in the state to resign pointing out that the process of their appointments too was dubious.

In response to Khan's controversial order, finance minister KN Balagopal made a remark that implied that given he was from Uttar Pradesh, Khan was perhaps not clued in on the ways of educational institutions in Kerala.

An irked Khan expressed his displeasure at Balagopal's comment in a missive to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. On Wednesday, acting on his threat to sack the minister, Khan withdrew his 'pleasure' in retaining Balagopal as a minister in the Cabinet.

This move, however, was met with stiff opposition from the Left. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan led from the front reasserting that his trust and confidence in Balagopal remains "undiminished".

The chief minister had also made clear that the Governor's withdrawal of pleasure meant nothing constitutionally.

Several Left ministers too joined this chorus, some even dismissing the Governor's threats as a "storm in a teacup".