In order to replace the 15 senators he fired two days prior in his capacity as chancellor of universities, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan was prohibited by the Kerala High Court on Friday from appointing new senators to Kerala University.
The high court also requested an explanation from the Raj Bhavan and ordered it to submit all documents connected to the case after taking into account a petition filed by the ousted senate members contesting the Governor’s conduct. On October 31, the court will review the situation once more.
The disgraced senators argued in their court filing that the Governor’s notice, as the state’s chancellor of universities, was an unconstitutional order, and they wanted to have it revoked. The notification was sent out because the Vice Chancellor of Kerala University did not follow his order to immediately remove the Senate members on October 15. The order of the Chancellor withdrawing his pleasure, effective as of that day, in enabling the Senate members to continue was notified, according to the gazette announcement, by letter dated October 15, 2022.
With effect from October 15, 2022, the notification stated, “Now, then, in furtherance of this, the Chancellor is also happy to inform the withdrawal of the aforementioned Senate members nominated as per the above requirements.” According to sources at Raj Bhavan, Khan had ordered the removal of Senate members after repeatedly ordering them to call a meeting of the Senate and present a senatorial nominee for the selection committee. According to the sources, a Vice-Chancellor would be chosen by the selection committee. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan criticised Khan’s decision made on October 15 and stated that it was against the law during a press conference held here on Tuesday.
