KASARGOD: Central University of Kerala's vice-chancellor G Gopa Kumar is going full throttle crushing alternative and dissenting voices on the campus. In his latest order, he has suspended head of the Department of English and Comparative Literature Prasad Pannian from the heads for a Facebook message he wrote "condemning" the arrest of a Dalit scholar for breaking a pane.
In the order, signed on Friday evening, the vice chancellor said Dr Pannian "criticised" the university's decision to take legal action research scholar Ganthoti Nagaraju.
It said his "act" violated the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules and "warrants disciplinary proceedings against him".
Pannian said he has not received the order and would not like to comment on the development.
However, the order was widely shared on the social messaging app by the pro-vice-chancellor K Jayaprasad. He forwarded the order to the Express late Friday night.
Reacting to the arrest of the scholar, Pannian had written on Facebook: that an act of misdemeanor has been criminalised is deeply disturbing.
"It is extremely saddening to know that our student is lying on the cold floor of the prison cell on charges of breaking a pane. I strongly condemn this arrest and appeal to the authorities to immediately secure the release of our student," he said in the post.
When contacted, Dr Jayaprasad said that the preliminary investigation found that he has violated the government rules.
"He cannot criticise the university after drawing huge amount as salary," he said. Now he would be served with memo, and the enquiry would follow, the pro-vice-chancellor said.
On Thursday, the vice-chancellor had expelled Akhil Thazhath, a second-year post-graduate student of International Relations and Politics, from the university for a Facebook post purportedly abusive of its officials.
On August 9, Bekal police arrested Nagaraju, a Dalit voice on the campus, after the university persisted that he be charged for breaking a pane.
Earlier in the beginning of the academic year, several students, who led an indefinite protest demanding proper food, water and accommodation in the hostel, were ousted from the hostel.