THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Director Ranjith, who is constantly creating controversies as the chairman of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, is likely to be removed from the post. A majority of the members of the Academy's General Council met yesterday and sent an email to Minister Saji Cheriyan asking for Ranjith's removal. Following this, the minister spoke to Ranjith over the phone.

Sources said that if Ranjith does not resign from the post, he will be removed after the Nava Kerala Sadas yatra of the government comes to an end. Meanwhile, Ranjith responded that he would resign if the minister asked him to do so. The members of the Academy have also written a letter to the Secretary of the Cultural Affairs Department asking for the removal of Ranjith.

Earlier, the Cultural Affairs minister had expressed displeasure with Ranjith's remarks about director Dr Biju. The minister said that the disputes with Dr Biju had already been settled and it was not right to raise them again in public.

Ranjith raised the issue of Dr Biju in a controversial interview during the International Film Festival. Dr Biju protested against this by resigning from the governing body of KSFDC. Ranjith had also made some remarks about minister Saji Cheriyan in the same interview.