Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has sent a letter to Hon’ble President of India Droupadi Murmu stating that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the ministers who accompanied him did not inform him before they went abroad in October. CM was away from October 3 to 13. The tour took him to four countries. He did not appraise the Governor of the discussions he held abroad either after returning. Chief Ministers and Prime Minister inform the Governors and President of India respectively before they go abroad and inform the discussions they are going to have where they go. As soon as they return, they explain to the Governor (or the President) the business they discussed abroad. Now, since Pinarayi had not followed this procedure, it is a blatant violation of the ‘Business Rules’. Ministers V. Sivankutty, P. Rajeev, Veena Goerge and V. Abdul Rehman accompanied the CM during his foreign trip.
Governor complains that when the CM went abroad for ten days, he did not even inform the Governor, either in writing or verbal, who was the man-in-charge in his absence. It created practical difficulties in the routine matters. When the well-known social activist Dayabai observed hunger strike in front of the state secretariat and when her health condition deteriorated Governor had visited her. Then he realized that no minister had intervened in the issue. But he did not know whom should be contacted in this matter. Therefore, these sorts of actions caused serious problems.
Governor has copied the letter to the Prime Minister also. Observers maintain that President is likely to refer the letter to the PMO.
Meanwhile, Governor appointed Dr. Sisa Thomas, Senior Joint Director in Technical Education Directorate, as the Vice Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (APJAKTU). Governor rejected the list of the nominees forwarded by the state government for this position. The appointment comes close on the heels of the cancellation of the appointment of Dr. M.S. Rajashree in the wake of the Supreme Court’s setting aside it. Because it had violated the stipulations of the UGC.
SFI workers blocked Dr. Sisa Thomas when she came to the campus to take over as the new VC.
Earlier Government had nominated Digital University VC Dr. Saji Gopinath for the position of APJ varsity’s VC. But Governor rejected it as he was one among the eight VCs Governor had issued Show Cause Notice to regarding the incompliance with the UGC stipulations. Show Cause Notices were issued in the light of the SC’s setting aside of Dr. M.S. Rajeshree’s appointment. The Government reverted with the name of Higher Education Secretary Ishita Roy. Governor rejected it stating that she was not an academic expert. Then Raj Bhavan asked the Technical Education Director to take over. But, she did not. Consequently, Raj Bhavan zeroed in on Dr. Sisa Thomas.
