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Kerala guv alleges Kannur varsity VC plotted to harm him
Kerala governor Arif Mohammad Khan Kannur University vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran a ‘criminal’ and raised serious charges against him
The ties between the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M)-led Kerala government and governor Arif Mohammad Khan vitiated further on Sunday after the latter called Kannur University vice-chancellor Gopinath Ravindran a “criminal” and raised serious charges against him.
Talking to newsmen in New Delhi, the governor said in the 80th History Congress meet in Kannur three years ago, there were attempts to manhandle him and the VC gave enough time for historian Irafan Habib to insult and criticise him while he was present on the stage and refused to intervene when a ruckus was created.
“He is a criminal and even plotted to attack me during the History Congress meeting. His conduct has crossed all limits. Despite Raj Bhavan instructions, the VC failed to report the incident to police and take action against miscreants,” the governor said adding that VC cannot function like a party functionary and he will not allow the varsity to be reduced as his personal fiefdom.
“He invited me to the function. There was an attempt to attack me and my ADC’s shirt was torn in the process. I suspect a conspiracy was hatched and the VC was party to it,” he said adding that the attack on governor attracted serious charges but he failed to either lodge a complaint or investigate it.
During the 80th History Congress inaugural session in Kannur in north Kerala on December 29, 2019, the governor was allegedly heckled by a group of participants and Irafan Habib raising the issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Khan was forced to stop his speech midway and later he stormed out of the meeting. Later the governor alleged that Habib shouted at him saying “not to quote Maulana Azad but quote Nathuram Godse and tried to prevent his speech physically.”
The governor’s remark has whipped up a controversy and people close to the VC said he will approach the court against the charges. The ruling CPI(M) said the governor has crossed limits of decency and decorum. “We never had such a governor. He is using all his energy to embarrass an elected government. He was expecting some higher posts, but overlooked and now he is taking out his frustration on the state government,” said party legislator A N Shamseer. He said he insulted people of Kannur by making such charges.
But the Congress asked why the governor re-nominated the VC in last November for another term if he was aware of such a criminal conspiracy. “Holding such a high position, the governor should have reacted then. In 2021 he only signed the re-appointment of the VC,” said party leader and former director general of prosecutions T Asif Ali.
Relations between the governor and the government soured further last week after the former stayed the appointment of Priya Varghese, wife of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s private secretary K K Ragesh, as an associate professor in Kannur University citing alleged nepotism and sought explanation from him.
He also said he will constitute a probe panel to examine all appointments where nepotism and backdoor charges were raised in the last three years.“I will not allow this. Right from the professor down to lower staff, they want to have their relatives. I will not allow this blatant misuse of power,” he said. But later the Kerala University senate passed a resolution against him and questioned his move to constitute a selection panel to choose a new VC.
In last November Priya was awarded first rank in an interview allegedly bypassing more experienced and qualified teachers. There was an allegation that the VC’s four-year term was extended as a reward for facilitating her appointment. Though the governor expressed serious reservations over giving an extension to the VC, the government reportedly pressurised him to clear his appointment. In last December, he wrote a strong letter to the chief minister saying higher education sector was crippled due to political intervention and backdoor entries.
