Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has written to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan informing that he wants Finance Minister K N Balagopal sacked as he has ‘withdrawn his pleasure.’ As per Article 164 of the Indian Constitution, it is on the advice of the Chief Minister that the Governor appoints ministers. The ministers shall hold office “during the pleasure of the Governor”.
The Governor alleged that Balagopal delivered a speech on October 19, and tried to stoke the fire of regionalism and provincialism and undermine the unity of India. The Governor said he had no option but to withdraw pleasure. The Governor has asked Pinarayi Vijayan to take a decision in this regard.
So what comment made by the Finance Minister angered the Governor? The minister while speaking on the recent face off between the Governor and the state government on appointment of Vice Chancellors in various universities said that a person who has come from Uttar Pradesh won’t understand how the education system in Kerala works.
The Minister cited a violent episode in which students were killed at the Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh years ago in support of his claim that the universities in Kerala stood apart from the rest.
“Do you know who fired the shot? It was the Vice Chancellor’s security guard. The VC of Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh has 50 to 100 security guards. This is the case in several universities there. People who come to Kerala from states where universities function like this will find it difficult to understand how they work here. Universities in Kerala are democratic institutions capable of academic discussions and bringing about significant change. The current times should be used to understand and accept the democratic nature of our universities. As a state more developed than any other region in India, this is also the time to further strengthen our education system and the involvement of people from different spheres in it,” he said.
Balagopal’s speech