Protests erupt in Kerala University as V-C calls off academic council meet

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A meeting of the academic council of the Kerala University was called off by Vice-Chancellor Dr Mohanan Kunnummal on Thursday, owing to the possibility of violent protests by pro-Left Syndicate members over the suspension of K S Anil Kumar from the post of registrar. The Syndicate members, who are also members of the academic council, had reportedly planned to ensure the participation of the suspended registrar in the meeting and stage protests against Mini Dijo Kappen, who has been given the charge of registrar by the V-C. Sources close to the V-C said that the official had received information that violent clashes were being planned with the intention of physically harming the incumbent registrar. In view of the volatile situation, an e-mail was sent by the registrar at 9.30am that the meeting has been cancelled, sources said. Decisions taken at the deans council meeting were to be reported in the meeting of the academic council on Thursday. Only 15% of the items in the agenda remain to be implemented. Those also will be approved by the V-C using his special powers so that students and other stakeholders are not affected, sources said. Meanwhile, academic council members staged a protest at the varsity headquarters against the cancellation of the meeting. V-Cs decision to call off the meeting unilaterally, just minutes before it was to commence, amounts to an insult to the academic council, said Syndicate member G Muraleedharan.