Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Sunday criticised the participation of three Vice Chancellors in an RSS event, calling it a serious lapse in judgment. The Vice Chancellors involved include Dr Mohanan Kunnummal (University of Kerala), Dr C R Prasad (Malayalam University) and Dr Mavoothu Duraipandi (Mahatma Gandhi University).

He said the participation of the VCs in a lecture delivered by RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat as part of the organisation’s centenary celebrations was being viewed seriously. “This is a grave lapse on the part of the Vice Chancellors. It is unbecoming of Kerala’s educational tradition and the dignity of the office they hold,” he said.

Satheesan said the public in Kerala holds the position of Vice Chancellor in high regard. He alleged that the VCs participated in an event associated with RSS ideology and said such actions promoting communalism would not be accepted. “The three VCs who participated in the RSS programme should apologise to Kerala,” he added.

CPM state secretary M V Govindan had earlier alleged that the UDF government had appointed a “Sangh Parivar man” as Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University. The reference was to Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s appointment of Mavoothu Duraipandi as in-charge Vice Chancellor of MG University on June 1.

Duraipandi is a former professor and former Director of the School of Management Studies at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). It was also alleged that at least 15 of the 30 Senate members nominated have Sangh Parivar connections.

Satheesan had not directly refuted the alleged RSS inclinations of the new appointees. Instead, he said the appointments were a continuation of the Governor’s actions during the LDF tenure. “It is now being made out as if the Governor launched his saffronisation agenda right after we came to power. VCs and Syndicate members were appointed in various universities during the LDF’s term, so this is not new,” he said.

He said the process for the selection of the MG University Vice Chancellor had started before the UDF came to power. “The search panel for the selection of the VC should have been provided by the previous government, but it was not,” he said.

The chief minister said that although the appointments had been made, the UDF government would scrutinise them. “We will do all that is legally possible,” he said.