Kerala HC stays appointment of wife of Pinarayi Vijayan’s secretary at Kannur University

The court order caused major embarrassment to the CPI(M)-led LDF government that has been accused of nepotism

The Kerala High Court, on Monday, stayed the appointment of the wife of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s private secretary as an associate professor at the Kannur University.

The court order caused major embarrassment to the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Democratic Front government, as it had opposed the same decision made by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan in this regard.

The selection of Priya Varghese, wife of Pinarayi’s private secretary, and former member of Parliament K K Ragesh, was stalled as there were allegations of nepotism, and that she didn’t have the UGC prescribed qualifications for the professorship.

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The high court issued the stay while considering a petition filed by the second rank holder in the selection list, Joseph Scaria, who also alleged that the interview board gave Varghese higher marks to please the chief minister.

Governor Khan’s decision to stay the selection was also based on similar complaints. The CPM, however, accused the governor of being part of the Bharatiya Janata Party-Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh conspiracy against the LDF government.

Governor-Government rift widens

Meanwhile, in what could only be seen as a retaliatory action, the government introduced in the state assembly a bill that curtails the Governor’s power to select vice-chancellors as the Chancellor of universities.

Over the past several months, Kerala witnessed an escalating rift between the governor and the government over a series of issues, including the reappointment of Gopinath Ravindran as Kannur University vice-chancellor, and the creation of a search committee to appoint a new vice chancellor for Kerala University.

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Apart from that, the Governor, most recently, refused to repromulgate 11 ordinances, which included the controversial ordinance that empowered the state government to review Lok Ayukta orders disqualifying public servants.

Special bill in special assembly

The bill to curtail the Governor’s powers as Chancellor of universities would be introduced in the special Assembly session that was convened to replace the 11 ordinances that were not repromulgated by the Governor.

The government also planned to amend the university laws and increase the strength of the search committee for selecting vice-chancellors from three to five. Reportedly, this move was so that the pro-ruling party nominees within the committee would have a higher representation.

The special Assembly session, which began on Monday, was likely to become heated on Tuesday as the opposition of Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) would be raising the nepotism charges, as well as reiterating Governor’s allegations that the Kannur University vice-chancellor was a “criminal”,

Governor against Kannur varsity VC

Governor Khan had accused the Kannur vice-chancellor of plotting to endanger the former. Meanwhile, in view of Khan’s accusations—that Ravindran was involved in the conspiracy to attack the Governor during the History Congress at the university in 2019—a lawyers’ forum filed a police complaint seeking action against the academician.