Banner row: Kerala guv’s office seeks explanation from college
The black banner in Malayalam installed by the Students Federation of India (SFI) college unit read: “Raj Bhawan is not the property of Governor’s father.”
Amid the ongoing tussle between the CPI(M)-led Kerala government and governor Arif Mohammad Khan a controversial banner surfaced at the gate of the government Sanskrit College in the state capital on Wednesday “insulting the governor”.
The black banner in Malayalam installed by the Students Federation of India (SFI) college unit read: “Raj Bhawan is not the property of Governor’s father.” After the controversial banner surfaced in the media, Raj Bhawan sought a report from the college principal and registrar of the university. Later, SFI activists removed the banner.
The CPI(M) and SFI distanced from the controversial banner saying their fight with the governor was not “personal but ideological” and disowned it. “We are not aware of the banner which was put up by the college unit on its own. When it came to our notice, we instructed them to remove it immediately,” said SFI district secretary G Gokul.
“The university has sought an explanation from the college principal. Further action will be based on the explanation of the principal,” said university registrar K S Anil Kumar. The principal was not available for his comments.
Meanwhile, opposition BJP has slammed the student outfit and said during the blockade of the Raj Bhawan on Tuesday abusive slogans were raised against the head of the state. “It (the banner) has exposed degenerating standard of the student outfit. We would like to know the reaction of the party. If it is sincere, it should take action against leaders who installed such an abusive banner,” said party leader S Suresh.
In another development, the Kerala Government on Wednesday decided to recommend the governor to call the assembly session from December 5. As many ordinances are awaiting governor’s nod, the government is planning to bring bills in the session and get them passed and in such circumstances ordinances will become invalid, said a spokesman of the government.
The government is also toying with the idea to extend the session till January first week to avoid the customary address of the governor in new year. The ruling left democratic front had laid a siege to the Raj Bhawan on Tuesday accusing him of destroying the higher education sector and weakening the state government. However Khan retorted that protests were part of democracy and he welcomed them but nobody could threaten or intimidate him with such actions.
The latest tussle between two began On October 22 after the Supreme Court quashed the appointment of APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University vice- chancellor M S Rajashree saying that it was in violation of University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. Soon after the verdict, Khan had asked 11 other V-Cs to resign, saying they were also appointed similarly by a single panel or recommended by a search committee with a non-academician as panel member.
