Congress leader KC Venugopal has leveled serious allegations of a covert agreement between the Kerala Governor and the state government, suggesting it led to a sudden compromise on the contentious appointments of vice-chancellors for two prominent universities. The AICC general secretary claimed this secret understanding exposed how the future of thousands of students was jeopardized for political maneuvering.
From Public Spat to Sudden Cooperation
On Wednesday, Venugopal pointed out the stark reversal in positions by both Governor Arif Mohammed Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He highlighted that the two figures, who were previously engaged in public criticism of each other, abruptly cooperated to reappoint candidates they had vocally opposed. The appointments in question are of Ciza Thomas as the Vice-Chancellor of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Saji Gopinath as the Vice-Chancellor of Digital University Kerala.
Venugopal questioned the motives behind this sudden alignment. He alleged that the swift change in stance indicated both constitutional and political authorities were acting on instructions from ‘higher authorities', even before the Supreme Court could deliver its final verdict on the prolonged legal battle. This move, he asserted, was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
A History of Protest and Student Anxiety
The Congress leader reminded the public of the turmoil that initially surrounded these appointments. When Ciza Thomas was first appointed, the government-backed protests by the CPI(M) and its student wing, the Students' Federation of India (SFI), created widespread uncertainty. This political drama caused significant anxiety among students regarding their academic stability and future.
Similarly, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan had taken a firm stand against the appointment of Saji Gopinath to the Digital University. Venugopal demanded to know why all these serious charges and opposition vanished overnight. He asked what happened to the grave allegations both the Chief Minister and the Governor had previously raised against these very individuals.
Chennithala Calls Out a Costly "Comedy Show"
Congress Working Committee member Ramesh Chennithala strongly echoed these concerns. He stated that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's acceptance of the Governor's decision finally ended what he described as a ‘comedy show' that had risked the prospects of thousands of students for nearly three years.
Chennithala emphasized that the agreement was reached just before the Supreme Court was set to pronounce its final decision, raising serious doubts about the authenticity of the prolonged confrontation. He noted that the conflict between the government and the Raj Bhavan persisted under two different governors, severely disrupting higher education in Kerala.
"The underlying agreement between the two parties has once again become apparent to the public, clearly exposing how the interests of tens of thousands of students were compromised," Chennithala said. He added that such persistent administrative instability is a key reason why many students from Kerala are now opting to pursue higher education abroad.
Further criticizing the state government, Chennithala questioned the justification for spending lakhs of rupees of public money to fight the case in the Supreme Court. He accused the government of deliberately using conflicts with the Governor to divert public attention from other crises, often with SFI playing a role. According to him, the "drama" has now concluded, leaving the hidden agreement fully exposed.
