Opposition walkout over KVASU VCs removal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Last week’s Cabinet decision to remove B Ashok from the post of Vice-Chancellor of the fledgling Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) ignited a fierce debate in the Assembly on Monday and a walk-out by the Opposition which termed the government decision “illegal’’.The Opposition walked out after Speaker G Karthikeyan denied permission for an adjournment motion moved by CPI’s C Divakaran for discussing Ashok’s removal. CM  Oommen Chandy said Ashok was asked to step down for purely administrative reasons and there was nothing illegal about it. He denied that the government’s decision was a reaction to an article written by Ashok in a Malayalam daily.“The article has come to the notice of the state government. But that is not why he has been relieved. It was purely for administrative reasons,’’ Chandy said. According to Chandy, Section 12 (5) of the KVASU Act says that the first vice- chancellor shall be appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the government.(Ashok, a former Animal Husbandry director and later member of Union Minister of State for Agriculture K V Thomas’s staff, was appointed as the first KVASU VC by the LDF. Last week, the Cabinet decided to remove Ashok, allegedly for criticising the Chief Secretary in his article).Under the Act, all subsequent VCs have to be selected by the Governor from a panel of names recommended by a Search Committee. C Divakaran said Ashok’s removal was not just a technical issue, but it destroyed the very concept of academic  freedom. The State Government had bypassed Section 12 (8) of the Act which says, "The Chancellor shall have the power to remove the VC from office by an order in writing of charges of misappropriation, misconduct, mismanagement of funds or willful omission, refusal to carry out the provisions of this Act or for abuse of powers vested on him,’’ he said.“Ashok was sent by the Centre for five years. It was not an ordinary posting. Hehad not been getting his salary. He wrote an article. What are the charges against him,’’ Divakaran asked.He added that Section 12 (5) quoted by Chandy does not mention anything about the removal of the vice-chancellor.Law Minister K M Mani countered that Section 12 (8) was only a special provision and Section 12 (7) states that the VC shall hold the office only subject to the “pleasure of the Governor.’’Later, Chandy did not give a straight answer to Divakaran’s demand that the government should state the specific reasons for Ashok’s removal. Chandy merely replied that a new VC will be appointed as per regulations and Additional Chief Secretary K Jayakumar will be in charge until then.He argued there were instances during LDF rule when a university Act itself was amended to boot out a vice- chancellor.Oppn Leader V S Achuthanandan said the UDF Govt has failed to give a plausible justification for the vice- chancellor’s removal, and announced the walk-out.