Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the Supreme Court order on Thursday scrapping reappointment of Kannur university vice-chancellor is a setback for the governor and not the government.
Vijayan told reporters that the SC order clarified that the reappointment of Gopinath Ravindran was not against UGC norms. The reappointment was scrapped based on the governor's statement that there was undue pressure on him.
Denying the allegations that he had pressurised the governor for the VC's reappointment, Vijayan said that officials from his office met the governor to brief about the norms for reappointment as sought by the governor. The higher education minister, who is the pro-chancellor, sent a letter to the governor, who is the chancellor, giving suggestions on the reappointment. It can't be considered as pressurising, said Vijayan.
Vijayan alleged that the governor could be raising baseless allegations against the government owing to some other 'external pressures' - an indirect reference to Khan's BJP link.
Governor gives VC charge to CUSAT prof.
The Governor has given the charge of Kannur University vice-chancellor to Professor Bijoy Nandan of Marine Biology department of the Cochin University of Science and Technology.
The Governor was learnt to have taken the swift decision without holding any consultation with the government.