The manner in which Mahatma Gandhi University (MGU) Vice-Chancellor A.V. George was shown the door is likely to rock the ties between the Congress and the Kerala Congress (M).
The Kerala Congress (M) is not willing to openly support the Vice-Chancellor, who was dismissed from service by Governor Shiela Dixit for making false claims in his resume. But the party leadership strongly feels the Governor should have ordered an independent inquiry into the issue prior to dismissing Mr. George, who became Vice-Chancellor as a nominee of the Kerala Congress (M) under the peculiar arrangement in the United Democratic Front.
Mr. George is perhaps the first Vice-Chancellor to have been shown the door in such a manner. He was refused the opportunity to submit his resignation, which would have not only relieved him from his responsibilities but also the possible cases related to cheating that he may have been charged with. The Kerala Congress leadership feels the Congress party, particularly the faction led by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, was responsible for the unseemly developments that cornered the varsity official.
The Congress and Kerala Congress (M) were locked in a tussle much before Mr. George came into the picture as a candidate. The Kerala Congress (M) wanted the prerogative of nomination to the post of Vice-Chancellor in MG University that is located in what it considers its bastion.
The Congress party wanted to redo the peculiar communal formula that the ruling coalition usually follows, by giving a chance to its nominee from the Nair community. It also considered appointing a person from the Catholic community as the Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University. But Kerala Congress (M) leader K.M. Mani put his foot down.
The UDF even went to the extent of relaxing the qualifications for appointment of Vice-Chancellor to facilitate the Kerala Congress (M)’s nomination.
But from the first day, Mr. George courted controversy over issues one after the other. The Chief Minister’s green signal made it easier for the Governor to issue the dismissal orders.
