Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI leader Binoy Viswam (left).
Credit: PTI Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: The Left-front government's decision to allow private universities to set up campuses in the state suffered a setback as CPI, which is the second largest party in the Left-front, raised objections.
The CPI(M) which was earlier opposed to allowing private universities changed their stand last year.
However, CPI conveyed its resentment as the bill to allow private universities was in the final stages of being introduced in the assembly. Agriculture minister P Prasad, who is from the CPI, reportedly raised the objection in the cabinet on Wednesday.
Various forums of CPI had openly opposed the move to allow private universities, raising concerns that it will lead to commercialisation of the education sector. They also cautioned of launching stir against the move.
Though the previous Congress government in Kerala made initiatives to bring private universities to Kerala, the Left-front strongly opposed it. Then vice chairman of the Kerala Higher Education Council and former diplomat T P Sreenivasan was even attacked by activists of SFI during a Global education meet in Thiruvananthapuram in 2016.
For that reason, the change in stand of the CPI(M) has raised many eyebrows. Congress has been accusing the CPI(M) of delaying the move.