Thiruvananthapuram: Amid escalating confrontation, the Kerala government has removed Governor Arif Mohammed Khan as chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam Deemed-to-be-University.
Arif Mohammad Khan was removed from the chancellor after a growing face-off between the government and the governor in the state.
The state government has announced that it is changing the university rules to replace Arif Mohammad Khan with an eminent figure from the field of art and culture.
The Kerala government said the governor is the representative of the BJP-led government at the Centre and is known for his day-to-day confrontation with the Democratic Front (LDF) administration in the state.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s administration has said it no longer wants a governor at the helm of universities in the state. Differences between the two sides were growing over the functioning of universities, including the appointment of vice-chancellors.
The revised rules of the deemed university also state that the governance system and management structure of Kerala Kalamandalam will follow the decisions of the state government.
The move came a day after a confrontation between governors and governments in three non-BJP ruled southern states. Kerala had proposed a special ordinance to replace Arif Mohammed Khan as chancellor of state universities.
Tamil Nadu has asked President Draupadi Murmu to recall Governor RN Ravi. Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed doubts over her phone being tapped in Telangana.