The decision to include the autobiography of a CPI(M) legislator and former Health Minister of Kerala, KK Shailaja, in the MA English syllabus of Kannur University, has received flak from a few quarters, as per IANS. 

Many organisations associated with Congress have opposed the act, which they term as politically motivated and has relatively lesser educational connection with the inclusion. The Save University Campaign Committee has written to the Kerala Governor, Arif Mohammed Khan, who is also the Chancellor of state universities, to ensure that this is removed.

In their complaint, they mention that the court had already cancelled the Board of Studies that was appointed by Kannur University's Vice-Chancellor, Gopinath Ravindran. Even after receiving no clearance from the chancellor of the university, he appointed an ad-hoc committee that recommended KK Shailaja’s autobiography.

They also pointed out that this comes at a time when KK Shailaja is facing a probe into alleged corruption that took place during purchases made during COVID. Another objection that they expressed was the inclusion of her book alongside Gandhi's book titled, My Experiments with Truth’

After the controversy broke out, the university authorities declared that this had not been included as a compulsory topic but only as a reference book.