In what could bring more troubles for the Government of Kerala with regards to the Kannur University Vice-Chancellor appointment issue, Governor of Kerala Arif Mohammad Khan made openly critical comments about Higher Education Minister R Bindu penning a letter to him to recommend a particular person to the post in contention.
"The minister has no locus standi to write a letter to the governor as the rules clearly lay down that there will be a selection committee to choose the Vice-Chancellor. This selection committee is independent. It does not work even under the instruction of the chancellor," the governor shared. These words serve as quite embarrassing for the minister who had stated that the letters she addressed to the governor were 'routine correspondence'.
These critical comments of the governor openly criticising Minister Bindu's 'recommendation letter' is set to have a bearing on the ongoing case in the Kerala High Court on the same matter.
It may be recalled that on December 17, a petition that questioned the re-appointment of the Vice-Chancellor of Kannur University, Gopinath Ravindran, was accepted by a division bench of Kerala High Court on December 17. The case will be heard on January 13.