Kerala Governor rejects CM's allegations of political interference by him in VC appointments

Thiruvananthapuram/New Delhi, November 3

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday rejected allegations by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that the former was politically interfering in the appointment of Vice Chancellors to universities in the state and offered to resign if even one example of the same could be shown.

Khan also openly challenged the chief minister, asking whether he would resign if he was unable to prove or substantiate his allegation.

“They (Left government, CM) are saying I am doing this (action against VCs) to bring RSS people. If I have nominated even one person, not just of RSS, any person, on my own using my authority, then I will resign. Will he (CM) be able to resign if he is not able to prove it? I am asking you (media),” he said, speaking to reporters in New Delhi.

“When you make such a serious charge against me, you have to substantiate it,” he added.

He was responding to reporters when his stand was sought on Vijayan’s allegations against him on Wednesday at a convention in Thiruvananthapuram where the CM said the Governor was trying to make universities in the state a centre of RSS and Sangh Parivar and that Khan was trying to implement the saffronisation agenda of these groups.