Thiruvananthapuram:

Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev on Wednesday tabled a bill in the assembly to replace the Governor as the chancellor of all universities in the state and appoint eminent academicians as head of varsities in his place.

The government has opened a new front in its fight against Governor Arif Mohammad Khan with the move and sought the help of Congress-led opposition to pass it unanimously. But the Congress said though it opposed the recent moves of the Governor the new bill will give a “blank cheque” to the ruling CPI(M) to appoint its cadres and sympathisers in key posts in varsities.

Introducing the bill, Rajeev said it was need of the hour and it will help bring professionalism in varsities. Citing the appointment of famous dancer Mallika Sarabhai as the chancellor of the Kerala Kalamandalam deemed to be university, he said the government will bring such eminent people as head of varsities.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan said the new bill was brought in hurry and it was against the guidelines of the University Grants Commission. “There is no mention about the age limit or qualifications of chancellor in the bill. The government can appoint anyone and it will spoil autonomous stature of universities,” he said. But the minister rejected his contentions saying he was making mere “political points.”

The government and Khan have been at odds over the management of varsities since last November. In December he wrote an open letter to CM Pinarayi Vijayan “deploring political interference in varsities and dipping standard of higher education sector in the state.” But the government shot back saying “he was trying to introduce saffron agenda in the state.”

In October after the Supreme Court quashed the appointment of APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University vice-chancellor (V-C) M S Rajashree saying that it was not in line with University Grants Commission (UGC) selection norms, Governor had asked 11 other V-Cs to resign saying they were also appointed in violation of the commission’s norms. Now, the issue is in the High Court.