THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A banner put up by CPM’s student wing SFI on the gate of Government Sanskrit College here, with objectionable reference to Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, has kicked up a row.
The banner in Malayalam, which was later removed, asked if the Raj Bhavan was the Governor’s ancestral property in a derogatory manner. The governor is the chancellor of state universities and the college is affiliated to the University of Kerala.
“The university has sought an explanation from the college principal, Further action will be decided on the basis of the explanation,” Kerala University registrar K S Anil Kumar said. The college principal was not available for comment.
The banner turned controversial amid the LDF’s massive protest on Tuesday outside the Raj Bhavan against the governor’s “illegal interventions” in the higher education sector. The banner was removed following a direction from the SFI leadership after its pictures were circulated on social media.
Recently, the governor had asked vice-chancellors of 10 universities to quit following a Supreme Court order. The apex court had held that the appointment of a vice-chancellor in violation of UGC regulations was ‘void ab initio’ (void from the beginning). An ordinance seeking the removal of the governor as chancellor of universities is awaiting the Raj Bhavan’s assent.