Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran said on Saturday that universities in Kerala have become the refuge for "fourth-rate, fifth-rate" vice-chancellors.
He was reacting to the recent disagreement between the state government and Governor Arif Mohammed Khan over 'political interference' in appointments of vice-chancellors in Kerala.
"Kerala was revered as a land of high morals, but today it has become the shelter home for fourth-rate, fifth-rate vice-chancellors," said Sudhakaran.
The senior Congress leader listed out several recent appointments of party members' spouses, including the postings of "former MP PK Biju's wife in Kerala University and minister Rajeev's wife at the Cochin University".
"Appointments in universities are being served like positions offered in party offices. Are universities now a CPM factory?," Sudhakaran asked.
He criticised the LDF government for upsetting the 'constitutional position' of the governor. "No government has ever questioned the governor's powers, not even past LDF governments led by (EK) Nayanar, (EMS) Namboodiripad, or (VS) Achuthanandan. So what is so special about this Pinarayi Vijayan government?" asked Sudhakaran.
He alleged that the LDF government was preferring people with "left-leaning ideologies" over meritorious candidates for vacancies in the universities.
