Kerala Opposition Leader Accuses UDF of Surrendering University Autonomy

Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan has sharply criticised the Kerala government's written submission to the Supreme Court, alleging that it represents a "blatant surrender to the RSS agenda." The state's United Democratic Front (UDF) administration had argued that the University Acts of Kerala must align with University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, Vijayan claimed that the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had, for ten years, defended the state's federal rights and the autonomy of its universities. He said the LDF had consistently resisted attempts to use Governors and UGC rules to undermine state legislation.

The opposition leader alleged that the current UDF government has now abandoned that principled position. He warned that this shift could expose the state's universities to greater control by the Governor and further the Sangh Parivar's stated goals of centralisation and saffronisation of education.

Vijayan described the government's stance as a "dangerous capitulation" that strikes at the heart of federalism, university autonomy, and Kerala's constitutional, secular, and democratic foundations.