Allegiance to Constitution or RSS? CM should clarify: Pinarayi Vijayan trains guns on UDF govt

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan criticised the UDF government for tacitly promoting the RSS communal agenda in universities. Pinarayi, in a Facebook post, said that the silence of the UDF government, which has succumbed to the Sangh Parivar agenda, is a betrayal of the secular ethos of Kerala.

Pinarayi Vijayan:

“Secular democratic believers should come forward against the Sangh Parivar's attempts to saffronise the Kottayam MG University, named after the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. After the UDF government took power, efforts have been made from the office of the Governor, who is also the Chancellor, to control matters in the MG University. But the state's ruling leadership has become incapable of uttering a single word against this. The silence of the UDF government, which has succumbed to the Sangh Parivar agenda, is a betrayal of secular Kerala.

Kerala has seen how the LDF government resisted attempts to implement the Sangh Parivar agenda in the state's higher education sector for the last ten years. There was no compromise in opposing such moves politically and legally. But the Higher Education Minister in the UDF government has been repeating that there is no clash with the Governor. This is a stance that is worrying secular believers. The Higher Education Minister should understand that this is not a matter of a clash between anyone, but a matter related to the protection of the Constitution and university regulations.

The Governor initiated the saffronization by appointing a pro-BJP teachers' union leader from CUSAT as the interim vice-chancellor of MG University. The UDF government was not even ready to fulfil its obligation to provide a panel for the appointment of the interim vice-chancellor. The possibility of cancelling the appointment of the VC by approaching the court has also been closed due to this.

In addition to this, the MG University Senate was inducted with Sangh Parivar nominees, flouting the rules and norms. It is worth noting that out of the total 30 members, 19 are RSS supporters. While the Sangh Parivar centres are pulling strings to capture MG University, the state government and the higher education department are acting like mute spectators. The UDF government is not even ready to issue a dissenting statement.

The Chief Minister needs to clarify whether the UDF government's allegiance is to the Constitution or the RSS. The current Advocate General of the UDF government is the person who gave legal advice to former Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to implement the RSS agenda in the field of higher education in Kerala. Therefore, it makes no sense to expect a legal fight against saffronization in universities. Bringing universities in Kerala under control has been the declared goal of the Sangh Parivar for the last few years. The LDF government has resisted such efforts in universities like Kannur, Calicut, Kerala, Kalady and others. However, after the change of government, the UDF government has become a patron of the RSS communal agenda in universities.”