Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan was removed as the chancellor of the Kerala Kalamandalam deemed university by the state government on Thursday, a day after a sharp escalation in a face-off between the two sides.
The state government announced it was changing the rules of the university to replace Mr Khan with an eminent person from the field of art and culture.
The governor is a representative of the BJP-led government at the centre and is known for his near-daily run-ins with the state’s the Democratic Front (LDF) administration.
The move came a day after friction between governors and governments in three non-BJP-ruled southern states spiked, with Tamil Nadu seeking a recall of RN Ravi, Kerala proposing a special ordinance to replace Mr Khan as chancellor of state universities, and Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed doubts of her phone being tapped in Telangana.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s administration has said it no longer wants the governor at the helm of universities in the state.
The two sides been increasingly at odds over functioning of universities, including appointment of Vice Chancellors.
The amended rules of the deemed university also state that the governance system and management structure of the Kerala Kalamandalam shall follow the decisions of the state government.
