Kerala University has decided to initiate legal proceedings over the ruckus that unfolded during a function attended by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Wednesday.
The Cantonment police have registered cases in connection with the clash that erupted outside the Senate Hall on the university premises during an event organised by Sree Padmanabha Seva Samiti. Activists of the Students Federation of India, Kerala Students Union and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad were engaged in confrontation, prompting forceful measures from the police.
The university has submitted a letter to the State Police Chief, seeking a detailed investigation into the issue triggered by the 鈥楤harat Mata鈥 controversy. Accusing the organisers of defying university guidelines, official sources pointed out that the venue had been temporarily allocated for the event after acceptance of rules, which stipulated against 鈥渞eligious worship, speeches, or discourses.鈥
鈥淗owever, when it came to the attention of the authorities that the organisers violated this condition, the Registrar intervened and requested that the event be stopped immediately. The organisers were informed that the permission for the hall would be revoked if they continued with the 鈥渞eligious鈥 programme. Subsequently, the university cancelled the permission to use the hall. The Registrar鈥檚 complaint to the State Police Chief was based on the unauthorised use of the hall, with the organisers violating the university鈥檚 secular stance,鈥 the university stated.
It has also been decided to seek compensation for the damages sustained on its premises as a result of the clashes. The university鈥檚 Engineering wing has been tasked with evaluating the extent of the destruction.
Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister R. Bindu on Thursday (June 26) condemned the actions of the Governor and accused him of attempting to introduce partisan politics into the academic environment.
鈥淯niversities must be spaces that promote secularism, where students and teachers from all walks of life, irrespective of their religion or caste, come together to learn and teach. These institutions must remain free from any political interference,鈥 she asserted.
The Minister also expressed concern over the negative repercussions that could arise from such actions, warning that the promotion of divisive ideologies within the university system would have far-reaching consequences for society as a whole.
BJP-backed Syndicate members in the Kerala University, Vinodkumar T.G. Nair and P.S. Gopakumar, demanded the suspension of the Registrar for purportedly colluding with Left-aligned Syndicate members to disrupt the event. They also accused the official of misrepresenting facts to the Raj Bhavan.