Centre using Governor as weapon: Yechury

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday said that the central government is trying to control the higher education sector by encroaching on the powers of the states.

"It is an unusual situation in Kerala where the central government makes the governor a political weapon. The situation is similar in all states ruled by opposition parties," Yechury said.

Yechury was inaugurating the Raj Bhavan March organized by the Higher Education Protection Committee with the support of the Left Front with the slogan of ending Governor Arif Muhammad Khan's actions to destroy universities in Kerala.

"Education is included in the Concurrent List where states have equal rights with the Centre. That is where the centre is trying to control the education sector without listening to the states. Although passed by the Parliament, UGC guidelines are subordinate legislation that comes only under the laws made directly by the state legislatures. But the Centre is trying to enter higher education by saying that UGC rules are above the complete law passed by the state legislature," Yechury said.

"In 1948 Jawaharlal Nehru declared it as the policy of the nation that universities should stand for humanity, tolerance, and scientific acceptance of diverse ideas. However, RSS has only one concept, Hindutva. They have implemented the agenda in central universities and Aligarh. Only Universities in Kerala are before them as roadblocks," he added.