‘Not Going To Respond To Criminals’: Kerala Governor Slams Minister’s Presence At University Senate Meeting

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan continued criticising the state’s Higher Education Minister R Bindu on Sunday, claiming that her attendance at the senate meeting she chaired at Kerala University was “illegal” and a “violation of the law.” Expressing his displeasure, Khan stated that a senate meeting of the university could only be chaired either by the Chancellor or an individual authorised by him, as reported by news agency PTI.

He emphasised that no other individual possesses the authority to preside over such meetings, clarifying this when questioned about Bindhu’s leadership of the senate meeting in her role as Pro-chancellor in the capital city on Friday. “So, what I know is that somebody claiming to be education minister tried to illegally enter the Senate hall…This is…violation of law,” he stated.

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In response to media queries referencing the minister’s statements, Khan remarked “I am not going to respond to criminals.” Minister Bindhu, speaking to reporters in Kozhikode, remarked that she was not interested in engaging in controversies. “If it was not legal, the court can be approached,” she stated in response to the Governor’s criticism regarding her involvement in the meeting, PTI reported.

Bindhu also reminded Khan that Kerala operates within a democratic and legal framework, adhering to the Constitution.

The Governor had previously criticised the minister vehemently on Saturday, asserting that she appeared to be “completely ignorant” and lacked regard for the court and the nation’s laws.

According to the ANI, the higher education minister also remarked that she did not violate the university rules and as pro-chancellor, she holds the authority to chair the senate meeting, in contrast to Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan’s statement.

SFI And PFI Hold Protest Against Kerala Governor

Earlier on Saturday, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan asserted that the Students Federation of India (SFI) and the Popular Front of India (PFI), an organisation that the Ministry of Home Affairs has banned, were partners in all of the demonstrations that the student wing of the ruling CPI (M) organised against him, as reported by ANI.

“All these protests that are being organised against me are not by SFI alone. That is a joint venture of SFI and PFI. I have gotten the report that twelve people have been arrested. Twelve people were arrested and five were. They said there were another five, although there were many more. Out of these twelve people who have been arrested, seven are known PFI volunteers. So this is not just SFI what the government is doing. They are telling the members of a banned organisation that if you join these protests, you do something nasty and then we will protect you. This is an SFI and PFI joint venture. Seven of them belong to the PFI,” stated Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan.

“This government is not only sheltering the PFI members of a banned organisation to create a law-and-order problem in Kerala. And I have already said that they are doing these things to provoke me to take some abstract action. But I am not going to oblige them,” Khan claimed, ANI reported.