The appointment of an interim Vice-Chancellor at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, and the nomination of members to its Senate have triggered a political controversy, with allegations that several nominees have close links with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Governor Rajendra Arlekar, who is also the Chancellor of universities in the State, last week appointed Mavoothu Duraipandi as interim Vice-Chancellor and nominated 30 members to the Senate.Of the 30 nominees, 15 are drawn from various sectors, while the rest are heads of university departments, and deans. Allegations have since surfaced that all general-category nominees, along with some departmental representatives, are affiliated to the Sangh Parivar.Among the general-category members are BJP national executive member J. Prameela Devi and leaders associated with various feeder organisations, including the Bharatheeya Abhibhashaka Parishad, higher education teachers’ sangh, school teachers’ sangh and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).While the Left Democratic Front (LDF) has raised objections, sections within the United Democratic Front (UDF) have also expressed disquiet, though they have refrained from publicly criticising the decision to avoid a confrontation with the Governor.‘Violation of rules’“The greatness and excellence of universities in Kerala, which serve as beacons of the State’s knowledge advancement, lie in their autonomy. The Senate, Academic Council and Syndicate are democratic forums that safeguard this sanctity. However, university authorities in Kerala are now competing in disregarding this framework, refusing even to convene these bodies and are operating in violation of established rules,” said S. Naseeb, general secretary of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations, in a statement.Official sources said that although an informal list of eligible candidates from MG University for the Vice-Chancellor’s post was sent to the Chief Minister’s Office, it was decided not to forward it to the Governor. The decision was reportedly taken to avoid a confrontation over the appointment of an interim Vice-Chancellor, as it was felt that such a dispute could affect the selection of a permanent Vice-Chancellor later.There are also concerns that the nomination of BJP-affiliated members to the Senate could influence the election of a representative to the three-member panel responsible for selecting the permanent Vice-Chancellor. It has also been pointed out that delays in constituting a new Syndicate could impact the balance of power in the Senate, as Syndicate members serve as ex-officio members of the body. Published - June 06, 2026 08:03 pm IST
Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthran. File | Lakshmi Narayanan Expressing shock over a complaint of sexual assault of a woman in Thoothukudi district, BJP State unit president Nainar Nagenthran, on Tuesday (June 2, 2026), alleged that the members of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) were increasingly involved in various offences. TVK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay should focus on maintaining law and order in the State, the BJP leader said in a social media post.Mr. Nagenthran referred to an incident reported in Srivaikuntam of Thoothukudi district in which two TVK partymen were allegedly involved in the sexual assault of a young woman. Though TVK members were initially involved in demanding bribes, increasingly there are rape and murder charges against them too, he charged.“Instead of delivering lengthy monologues, the Chief Minister should realise the significance of his post and should protect the people of Tamil Nadu from his own partymen. Only that will help protect the law and order situation in Tamil Nadu,” Mr. Nagenthran said. Published - June 02, 2026 12:52 pm IST
The decision of Idukki District Congress Committee (DCC) president C.P. Mathew to nominate Nikhil Paily, the prime accused in the murder of Students Federation of India (SFI) activist and BTech student Dheeraj Rajendran in 2022, to the committee has sparked outrage in the district. According to party leaders, Mr. Mathew nominated Mr. Paily without consulting other DCC members or the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).Many DCC members are now demanding that the KPCC remove Mr. Mathew from the president post. He had nominated Mr. Paily to the committee on Saturday, along with four others. Senior Congress leaders came to know about Mr. Paily’s inclusion only when the list was released.“It is a black mark on the newly elected UDF government and MLAs in the district. The nomination was made without consulting other UDF leaders in the district. It was an uncalled-for move by the DCC president. His actions are causing massive damage to the party here, and we have demanded that the KPCC remove him from the post immediately. Recently, he had launched a verbal attack against Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose,” said a senior Congress leader.“If the court had acquitted Mr. Paily, his nomination we could have accepted his nomination. But the case is still pending in court. The nomination will sully the Congress’s reputation in the district,” the leader added.Mr. Mathew, meanwhile, defended his decision, clarifying that the court has not yet found Mr. Paily guilty and that the trial is yet to begin.CPI(M) standThe Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] district leadership has strongly objected to the nomination. CPI(M) Idukki district secretary C.V. Varghese said that Congress leaders need to question the logic behind this move. “The CPI(M) will pursue the murder case legally and politically. The nomination shows exactly what the Congress intends to offer the public,” Mr. Varghese said.Dheeraj was stabbed to death at Government Engineering College, Painavu, Idukki, on January 10, 2022. He was killed and two other students, Thrissur native Abhijith T. Sunil and Kollam resident A.S. Amal, were injured in a clash related to the college union elections. In April 2022, the police submitted a 600-page chargesheet in the court, as per which KSU-Youth Congress activists were accused in the case, with Mr. Paily named as the prime accused. Published - May 24, 2026 09:53 pm IST
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