Kerala HC order on senate nominations: Governor Khan refuses to comment

Thiruvananthapuram, May 23 (PTI) Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan on Thursday refused to comment on whether an appeal will be moved against the High Court’s order quashing the nominations made by him to the senate of the University of Kerala.

Speaking to reporters, the Governor said that he will not discuss the court verdict with the media or in public.

“There are certain institutions which have some sanctity and I request you (media) to respect that,” he said.

The High Court on Tuesday quashed the nominations made by Khan as Chancellor of Universities to the senate of the University of Kerala and directed him to select fresh nominees within a period of six weeks.

While quashing the nominations, the court had observed that “there is no unbridled power vested with the Chancellor while making the nominations in terms of the statutory provisions”.

“An unguided, unfettered and unbridled power is foreign to the exercise of any power, constitutional or statutory. It is trite that even in the exercise of discretionary power, the requirements of reasonableness, rationality, impartiality, fairness and equity are inherent to such exercise and can never be according to any private opinion.

“Under such circumstances, the nominations made (by the Chancellor) are to be interfered with and accordingly, they are quashed,” the court had said.