After ‘Criminal’ VC, Kerala Guv steps on the gas with ‘street goon’ jibe

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has taunted the state government again by recalling a three-year-old incident involving an alleged attack on him by historian Irfan Habib during the Indian History Congress.

Khan, who had the other day dubbed Kannur University Vice-Chancellor Gopinath Raveendran a criminal for allegedly being party to the conspiracy to attack him, has called historian Habib, ‘a street goonda’.

“In Kerala people are arrested for writing Facebook posts. People are arrested for going to a public meeting wearing a black shirt. It is on record. And these people were confident that they can attack me physically, and no action will be taken,” Khan told reporters in Delhi.

He claimed the conspiracy to attack him was “clear from the first day”.

“Some senior intelligence and education department personnel told me that they were aware of this (conspiracy),” he charged.

He said the reason for bringing up the issue again — when the Kannur University was under the spotlight over the alleged illegal appointment of Priya Varghese, as associate professor on grounds of nepotism — was to “show that he (VC) has a bloody criminal mind”.

“Even today, I do not want to take any action on that. I’m using this incident only to show the criminal mindset. This appointment of an associate professor is a small matter. If he can be a party to a conspiracy to attack the Governor, who is his Chancellor, then he can go to any extent.

“I wanted to see whether those who arrest people for writing a post on Facebook and wearing a blackshirt, have any sense of standing by the law,” the Governor lamented.

“The Kannur University and the Higher Education Sector are in shambles and as long as I’m here I shall try my best to set the house in order.”

Unfair criticism
Khan claimed that he has high tolerance toward criticism. “I’m for freedom of speech, even to say things which are absurd, stupid. People are free in my opinion. I’ll laugh off unfair criticism and that is my attitude.

“Irfan Habib says academics do not hatch conspiracies, I am ready to believe him. But is it the job of an academic to indulge in a physical fight? It is the job of a goonda, street goonda.

On bill curtailing Guv’s powers
“They’re free to do whatever they want,” Khan said, but hinted he might not be signing it.

“You think I’ll sign any law that goes against the Supreme Court decisions? Certainly not.

A Bill becomes law only after it is signed by the governor. I’ll not sign anything that goes against the constitution, which seeks to erode the university’s autonomy, which opens the way for government interference in the universities,” he said.