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Appointment of CPI(M) leader’s wife at Sanskrit varsity triggers row
Many youth outfits have hit the street and some have also approached Governor Arif Mohamad Khan, who is also the chancellor, to cancel R Ninitha's appointment.
The appointment of R Ninitha, wife of MB Rajesh, former MP of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), as professor in Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady (Kochi), has triggered a fresh row after one of the subject experts on the interview board alleged norms were flouted in the selection process.
Many youth outfits have hit the street and some have also approached Governor Arif Mohamad Khan, who is also the chancellor, to cancel her appointment.
Dr Umer Tharamel, one of the interview board members, on Thursday posted a comment on social media alleging that normal procedures were flouted and competent candidates were overlooked to accommodate the wife of the CPI(M) leader.
“I never thought the rank list would be turned upside down like this. I was least concerned about the political affiliation of the selected candidate. The UGC and university norms were overlooked,” Dr Tharamel wrote in his post.
However, university Vice Chancellor PK Dharmarajan has dismissed allegations as baseless and unwarranted. He said it was part of a campaign to portray the prestigious varsity in bad light.
The Save University Campaign Committee, a body fighting corruption in varsities, which took the issue to the Governor said in the interview held on January 21 for the post of assistant professor (Malayalam), which was reserved for the Muslim community, many candidates with better qualifications and more research papers to their credit appeared.
They were overlooked to appoint Ninitha flouting all norms, said M Shajir Khan of the Save University Campaign Committee.
Rajesh later denied any involvement in the issue and said his wife had joined the varsity a week back and nobody had raised any objections when the rank list was published last month. He said since the VC had issued a detailed reply no other explanation was needed on his part.
Opposition parties have also criticised her appointment. “Centres of learning excellence are getting reduced to centres to accommodate spouses of party leaders,” said BJP state president K Surendran, adding such backdoor entries were rampant.
Youth Congress and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha workers carried out protest rallies at several places.
Two-time MP Rajesh was defeated in 2019 elections from Palakkad.
Last year the high court had annulled the appointment of CPI(M) MLA AN Shamseer’s wife Shahana as assistant professor in Calicut University. Higher Education Minister KT Jaleel had landed in a big row in 2018 after his cousin KT Adeeb was appointed the GM of the State Minorities Development Finance Corporation. Later he was forced to resign.
The appointment of Jeeva Anandan, son of CPI(M) leader A Ananthan, as MD of the Kinfra Apparel Park last year also courted controversy.
The ruling CPI(M) has denied allegations, saying in some cases people who spent 10-15 years in temporary posts have been made permanent on humanitarian basis and no party affiliation was involved in this.
