Kerala University V-C seeks inquiry into Registrar’s conduct during Governor’s visit

Kerala University (KU) Vice-Chancellor in-charge Mohanan Kunnummal has recommended a detailed inquiry into the conduct of Registrar K.S. Anil Kumar during a recent function attended by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who also serves as the Chancellor of the university.

In a preliminary report to Raj Bhavan over the fracas that unfolded at the Senate Hall, Prof. Kunnummal raised serious concerns over the Registrar’s action, which he described as being based on “vague allegations and without proper evidence”, potentially carrying criminal consequences.

He observed that the Registrar acted irresponsibly by taking action without any specific or credible report regarding an alleged religious symbol displayed during the event. Notably, none of the reports submitted by the Registrar, security officer or the public relations officer identified the symbol of even the religion it was purportedly associated with. The Vice-Chancellor also noted that, although Dr. Kumar was present on stage, he failed to provide any firsthand account of having seen the alleged symbol.

In his explanation to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Kumar had accused the event organisers of violating university guidelines by displaying religious symbols in the form of the controversial Bharat Mata portrait. However, the Vice-Chancellor opined in his report that the image did not constitute a religious symbol under existing university rules.

Prof. Kunnummal further expressed concern over the Registrar’s decision to cancel the permission to use the venue mid-event. This, he alleged, occurred while the national anthem was being played and the Governor was on stage. Calling the action “audacious”, he stated that this not only disrupted a formal event, but also undermined the university’s institutional integrity.

Besides, the supporting documents included photographs, internal communications and the official complaint by the organisers, none of which substantiated the Registrar’s claim of religious symbolism.

The Vice-Chancellor pointed out that the issue warranted both a thorough internal inquiry and external investigation due to the nature of the allegations and their impact on the constitutional decorum of a university event attended by the Governor.