THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will on Wednesday, August 24, table a new Bill in the Kerala Assembly aimed at curtailing the powers of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as Chancellor.
The ten-day special session of the Assembly that got today, has been specifically called to float a dozen Bills, after 11 Ordinances lapsed following Khan's refusal to re-promulgate them earlier this month.
Consequent to Khan refusing to sign the re-promulgation, the CPI-M and Khan have been having a free for all. Critisising the Kannur University Vice-Chancellor Gopinath Ravindran, the Governor had called him a "criminal" acting as a CPI-M cadre.
Khan has been furious with the vice chancellor of Kannur University since he approved the appointment of Vijayan's private secretary, K.K. Ragesh's wife, Priya Varghese, to the position of associate professor of Malayalam. The appointment was postponed last week after widespread charges of nepotism came to light.
In response to claims that a significant number of relatives of the CPI-M-led Left have obtained back-door jobs, he also announced the creation of a special committee to look into all the appointments made in the various institutions over the past several years.
In light of all the recent events, Vijayan made the decision on Monday to introduce a new Bill that will limit the governor's authority because he also serves as the state's chancellor for all of the state's universities.
In response, opposition leader V.D. Satheesan stated that while his party will oppose the new Bill, it would stay out of the conflict between the CPI-M and Governor.
Kerala: 10-day assembly session today, Bills to be replaced.
Kerala: All university appointments to be scrutinised, says Governor
