Thiruvananthapuram | Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, Pinarayi Vijayan, on Tuesday, alleged that the Congress-led UDF government was remaining silent while attempts were being made to "saffronise" Mahatma Gandhi University in Kottayam.
In a Facebook post, former chief minister Vijayan said, "Secular and democratic believers must come forward against the Sangh Parivar's attempts to saffronise Mahatma Gandhi University," he said.
The CPI(M) veteran alleged that since the UDF government came to power, the Governor's office had been trying to exercise influence over the university's affairs. He termed the government's silence "a betrayal of secular Kerala".
Vijayan contrasted the present situation with the previous LDF government's tenure, claiming that the Left administration had resisted similar moves politically and legally.
"There was no compromise then in opposing such moves politically and legally," he said.
The Opposition leader criticised Higher Education Minister Roji M John for "repeatedly stating that the government did not want a confrontation with the Governor".
"This is not a matter of confrontation between individuals, but rather a matter related to the protection of the Constitution and university regulations," Vijayan said.
He alleged that the process of "saffronisation" began with the appointment of a temporary Vice-Chancellor who, according to him, was associated with a BJP-supporting teachers' organisation at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).
Vijayan also claimed that the UDF government failed to provide a panel for the appointment of a temporary Vice-Chancellor and had not taken any legal steps to challenge the appointment.
Referring to recent nominations to the university senate, he alleged that Sangh Parivar supporters had been inducted by ignoring established norms and regulations.
"Out of the total 30 members, 19 are RSS supporters," he claimed.
The former chief minister further accused the government of surrendering its constitutional responsibilities by not challenging the Governor's actions.
"The chief minister must clarify whether the loyalty of the UDF government is to the Constitution or to the RSS," Vijayan said.
He also alleged that bringing Kerala's universities under Sangh Parivar influence had been a long-term objective and claimed that previous LDF governments had successfully resisted such attempts in several universities across the state.
