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Tamil Nadu education minister calls governor BJP campaigner, to boycott varsity convocation
“More than being a governor, he is being a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) campaigner,” Ponmudi, who is also the pro-chancellor of the varsity, told reporters.
Tamil Nadu higher education minister K Ponmudi announced on Tuesday that he was boycotting the 54th convocation of the Madurai Kamaraj University, to be held on July 13, accusing governor R N Ravi of attempting to infuse politics among the students under the guise of convocation.
“More than being a governor, he is being a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) campaigner,” Ponmudi, who is also the pro-chancellor of the varsity, told reporters.
“I’m the higher education minister and pro-chancellor, but they never discussed the speakers with me or my department like it is usually done,” Ponmudi said. He added that according to protocol, the pro-chancellor speaks after the chancellor (the governor), but the invitation has the minister of state and former BJP Tamil Nadu chief L Murugan as the ‘guest of honour’.
“We usually have a chief guest to speak but I don’t understand what ‘guest of honour. When I asked the vice-chancellor, he said he doesn’t know anything and was just following instructions from the governor’s office”. The minister said that when the issue was raised with the governor’s office, the official response was that “this is how things will be done”.
“ …all this raises a doubt amongst us on whether the governor is bringing in politics at a student’s convocation function. So, I’ve decided to boycott and not participate in the Madurai Kamaraj University’s convocation,” Ponmudi said.
“I’m a history student, and if the governor understands a bit of history, it will be helpful. I often say that the governor is only a nominal executive. He is not elected by the people. Just because he is appointed by the Centre, doesn’t mean he sides with their ideology. His responsibilities are towards the state,” he added.
The governor’s office did not release any statement on the controversy.
This isn’t the first time that Ponmudi has clashed with governor Ravi. In May this year, Ponmudi spoke against the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 during the 37th convocation of Bharathiar University in Coimbatore, saying that Tamil Nadu will only follow the two-language policy. Governor Ravi was present on the dais.
The statement came after the governor extended his support to the NEP in his Republic Day speech this year and insisted that Tamil Nadu students be exposed to learning other Indian languages.
The Tamil Nadu government also has a rough relationship with the governor over his delay in forwarding bills passed by the state assembly, particularly the anti-NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) Bill.
