Training his guns on the State government and the CPI(M), Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Thursday that the controversial appointment of Priya Varghese in Kannur University is “political”.
“An unqualified person has been appointed because she is the spouse of the secretary to the Chief Minister. How can someone who did not have the necessary teaching experience be called for the interview,” he asked, while reiterating the appointment was a case of favouritism and nepotism.
“This (the appointment) was indeed political. I will have to deal with it politically,” Mr. Khan remarked while interacting with mediapersons in New Delhi.
His terse comments capped a day in which Kannur University decided to legally challenge the Governor’s decision to freeze the appointment and CPI (M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan accusing the Raj Bhavan of conspiring with the RSS to topple the government.
“They [the Left] were supporting me after the Shah Bano issue [after Mr. Khan had quit the Rajiv Gandhi government and Congress over the Shah Bano case in 1986]. The Bharatiya Janata Party was also supporting me then. Were they not aware then that I am part of the RSS? He [Mr. Balakrishnan] is entitled to his opinion,” he said.
Lashing out at the alleged efforts made by the ruling dispensation to impose its will on the Raj Bhavan, the Governor quipped that the government was aware of his powers.
“The Raj Bhavan’s powers are decided by the Constitution and only the President can issue directives. They [the government] tried to interfere with the appointment of a person in my staff. The officer whom they used to issue the directions had to be removed. After all, the [upcoming] session of the Assembly has been called only after some developments,” he said, while referring to his refusal to repromulgate over 10 Ordinances before they lapsed.
On Kannur University’s decision to move the Kerala High Court, the Governor said anybody has the right to differ with my decision and approach courts. “However, I have not yet checked with legal experts whether a subordinate officer can go against the head of the institution and whether the action amounted to insubordination and indiscipline,” Mr. Khan pointed out, while hinting at a protracted legal battle with the university officials.
