Kerala Governor slams Pinarayi govt for pressurising to reappoint VC in Kannur University
Reappointment of VC at Kannur University: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan slammed the LDF-led Pinarayi government for exerting pressure to sign the reappointment order of VC Dr Gopinath Raveendran at Kannur Varsity. The SC annulled the reappointment on Thursday (Nov 30).
FollowThiruvananthapuram: Following the Supreme Court's verdict annulling the re-appointment of the Kannur University's VC Dr Gopinath Raveendran, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday (Nov 30) slammed the state government. The governor clarified the fact that though he had cautioned that the VC's re-appointment was against the regulations, the government had conveyed to him that they were acting on the AG's legal opinion.
"I was aware that it was against the law when I signed the reappointment order. The Chief Minister's office exerted pressure for the order to be signed. The Chief Minister's office officials arrived. The Higher Education Minister was being used as an instrument. It is morally questionable if the CM is able to continue on. Let them resolve this issue," he said.
The Governor also clarified that he is not demanding the resignation of any individual.
In a significant setback for the Kerala government, the Supreme Court has annulled the reappointment of Dr Gopinath Raveendran as the Vice Chancellor of Kannur University. The ruling, delivered by a bench comprising Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra, emphasized that the appointment process was tainted by unwarranted interference from the Kerala government.
The legal challenge was initiated by Kannur University senate member Dr. Premachandran Keezhoth and academic council member Shino P Jose. During the proceedings, the court questioned the state government on the re-appointment of a person over 60 years, which contravened the university's rules. The government argued that age restrictions did not apply to re-appointments, but Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud stressed that such re-appointments must adhere to the eligibility criteria outlined in the relevant Act.
