Kerala Governor not to sit in judgement, Chancellor Bill to be sent to President

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan is, in all likelihood, preparing to send the bill removing Governor as the Chancellor of the 14 state universities, passed earlier this month by the Assembly, to the President for consideration.

Khan, who is presently travelling and returning to his official residence here on January 2, will be taking the final decision to this effect.

The bill that his office received has been sent to his legal counsel for advice, according to sources in the know of things, and Khan will look into it on Monday.

Khan had, on a few occasions, had clarified that if there is anything where he is a party, he will not sit in judgement and hence it will be sent to the President.

Khan and Vijayan have been at logger heads since August when the former put his foot down against clearing the appointment of the wife of the latter's private secretary for a teaching post at the Kannur University.

Since then, it has been a free for all between the head of the state and the head of the government - a first of its kind in the state which caught national headlines.

The most recent skirmish between the two took place, when Vijayan did not turn up at the Christmas get-together called by Khan and when he held a similar function, Khan was not invited.