Kannur University Vice Chancellor is a criminal: Kerala Governor

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) In a scathing attack against the Kannur University Vice Chancellor, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has charged that the Vice Chancellor Gopinath Raveendran is a criminal.

While speaking to media persons at Kerala House in New Delhi, Arif Mohammed Khan charged that during the Kerala History Congress held at Kannur two years before, the Vice-Chancellor had conspired to physically assault him.

The outburst of the Kerala Governor is the latest in a series of confrontations between the Governor and Kannur University Vice Chancellor after the university cleared the appointment of the private secretary of Kerala Chief Minister, K.K. Ragesh's wife Priya Verghese to the post of Associate Professor in Malayalam language.

Governor had earlier said that the appointment lacks merit and that Priya Verghese was way behind other aspirants for the job but due to political support, she had got through as the number one in the list. Arif Mohammed Khan has also frozen the appointment of Priya against which the Kannur University Vice- Chancellor said that he would move legally.

However Governor had taken legal opinion and according to this, the Kannur University Vice Chancellor will not be able to move court against the Chancellor of the University (Governor of Kerala is the Chancellor of Universities in the state against which the state government is planning to moot a bill).

However, CPI-M leader and Member of Legislative Assembly from Thalasserry and former Chairman of Kannur University, A.N. Shamseer while speaking to media persons said that the Governor's statement shows his immaturity. He said that there were no such instances as a physical assault against the Governor during the Kerala State History Congress that had taken place two years ago. He also said that Governor Arif Mohammed Khan was acting like a politician and wanted to be present before the media on a day-to-day basis.

Shamseer said that Arif Mohammed Khan was aspiring for some bigger roles in New Delhi and when that did not happen he was frustrated and that frustration was being vented out against the Left Democratic Front government of Kerala. He said that Governor should introspect whether his actions are in tandem with what was expected from the august office that he was holding.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Congress leader and Member of Parliament, K. Muraleedharan said that he was in support of the Governor in his fight against backdoor appointments in universities. He said that earlier the Kerala Speaker, M.B. Rajesh's wife was appointed at Sanskrit University and now the Chief Minister's Political Secretary, K.K. Rajesh's wife is about to be appointed through the backdoor and overlooking merit criteria.