Leader of the Opposition V. D. Satheesan hinted that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would not take sides in the spat between Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over ‘political cronyism’ in varsity appointments.
He said both leaders have sparred in the past and patched up at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national leadership.
However, the illegal appointments in varsities and service extension for favourites remained a severe public interest issue the UDF could not ignore.
The CPI(M) had incrementally usurped the academic and administrative power of varsities by populating its statutory councils with compliant party apparatchiks.
The Sree Narayana Guru Open University was a classic example. The government had given UGC norms the go-by in appointments. It extended the service of the Kannur University Vice Chancellor illegally. Mr. Khan had acquiesced in the decision by affixing his imprimatur. He should now redeem the wrong decision. The Governor was not above criticism, he said.
The government rendered the ‘search committee’ an impotent witness in the appointment of the Sanskrit university Vice Chancellor. It has reserved university posts for the next of kin of CPI(M) leaders.
Mr. Satheesan said Mr. Vijayan was a pale imitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both were authoritarians. Sangh Parivar minded officers dominated the Kerala police. It explained why the Aluva police cast Congress workers protesting the suicide of Mofiya Praveen as ‘terrorists.’
Mr. Vijayan had allowed the police to wrongfully accuse two young CPI(M) men, both students, of Maoist links. Mr. Vijayan and CPI(M) shared a Sangh Parivar mentality, he said.
