On his threat, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has taken action. Because K N Balagopal ‘violated his oath of office and undermined the unity and integrity of India,’ he has revoked his praise for the finance minister. The Governor’s argument was graciously rejected by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who stated that he still had ‘undiminished’ trust and confidence in the finance minister.
By attempting to ‘drive a wedge between Kerala and other States of the Indian Union and present a misleading picture as to different States of India having distinct systems of higher education,’ the finance minister, in the Governor’s words, violated the law. On October 25, a letter addressed to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated this.
The minister’s remark that people from Uttar Pradesh wouldn’t be able to understand Kerala’s educational systems provoked the discussion. In light of the Supreme Court decision invalidating the vice chancellor’s appointment at the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University and the Governor’s implication that appointments at other universities were also invalid, the minister made this statement. The Governor interpreted the minister’s reference to UP as a subtle jab at him because he was born and raised in the northern Indian state.
The Governor based his argument on press reports. He said in his letter that several efforts were being made to smear the Governor’s office. The letter stated that the comments made by the Finance Minister, K. N. Balagopal, were the most alarming since they sought to fan the flames of regionalism and provincialism and, if left unchecked, might have a damaging effect on our national unity and integrity.
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