KOCHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief minister VD Satheesan on Sunday came down heavily on the vice-chancellors (VCs) of Kerala, Mahatma Gandhi and Malayalam universities for attending an event at which Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat was a guest.In a Facebook post, Satheesan said that the VCs should apologise to the state for their action.“The participation of three VCs at the event where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat spoke as part of the organisation’s centenary celebrations is being viewed with utmost seriousness. Their presence was a grave lapse, as it was unbecoming of Kerala’s educational legacy and the dignity of their office. The people of Kerala hold the position of VC in high esteem. By attending the programme of an RSS leader known for extreme communal rhetoric, they have demeaned their office,” Satheesan said in the post.“Any act that encourages communalism, no matter who is responsible, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The three VCs who took part in the RSS event should apologise to Kerala,” he said.Earlier in Thiruvananthapuram, opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the government, the UDF leadership and its allies, including IUML, failed to adequately resist attempts to infuse the Sangh Parivar agenda into the higher education sector.Addressing the media, he asked whether the UDF government, which assumed office a month ago, had surrendered to the Sangh Parivar’s agenda.“The govt did not oppose a person with a Sangh Parivar background being appointed temporary VC of MG University, 19 Sangh Parivar members being included in the senate and three VCs attending an RSS programme. The UDF, its allies and the CM have not reacted. This is a concern among secular people in Kerala,” Vijayan said.He said the ‘interference in higher education’ began after the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014. They started meddling in state affairs after Arif Mohammed Khan was appointed governor. The LDF took a strong stand against their agenda and continued to do so until its term ended this year, he said.He alleged that the UDF did not support the LDF when the previous government brought legislation to strip the governor of control over universities.“The governor did not approve the bill. We went to the Supreme Court. The UDF should have supported us, but it did not,” he said.
