Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has, on Monday, come down heavily on Governor Arif Mohammed Khan saying he was misusing his position to wield powers that he did not have.

“The actions of the Governor are unconstitutional and undemocratic,” CM Vijayan said.

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Addressing a press conference in Palakkad in the morning, Pinarayi Vijayan said that the governor who is the chancellor is ignoring the laws and justice prevailing in the country.

Stating that the chancellor cannot ask the vice-chancellors to resign based on the verdict of the Supreme Court, CM Vijayan said the orders of the apex court are applicable only to the vice-chancellor of the Kerala Technological University (KTU).

Responding to the governor’s allegation that the students of the state are going outside the country to pursue higher studies as the quality was low here, he asked if such is the case how are the students who studied here getting admission in the universities abroad?

Alleging that the governor is acting at the behest of the Sangh Parivar forces, Vijayan said that the actions of the governor amounted to interfering on the powers of the government and academies which are supposed to function democratically and independently.

During the press conference, Vijayan ridiculed the governor by comparing  Khan to a lizard that thinks that it is holding the roof from falling down.
Meanwhile, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan clarified that his letter to nine vice-chancellors on the previous day, asking them to resign, was to give them the option for an ‘honourable exit’ in the wake of a Supreme Court verdict.

Speaking to media persons at the Raj Bhavan here, Khan said that formal show-cause notices have been issued to the vice-chancellors on Monday asking why their appointment should not be declared ‘void ab-Initio as stated in the apex court verdict. He added that the vice-chancellors have been given time till 5 pm on 3 November to reply.

In an extraordinary move, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, in his capacity as Chancellor of the universities in the state,  has on Sunday asked the vice-chancellors of nine universities in the state to resign from their posts before 11.30 am on Monday.

The unprecedented action of the governor was based on a recent Supreme Court order which quashed the appointment of APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University Vice Chancellor Dr. Rajasree M S, for non-compliance with the UGC rules.