Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 11 : A row has broken out in Kerala with both the ruling Left and the Congress-led opposition slamming Kerala Governor Rajendra V. Arlekar's office issuing a circular directing the Vice Chancellors of state universities to observe August 14 as the "Partition Horrors Remembrance Day".

This is the first time such a directive has been sent from the Governor's office to universities in Kerala.

State Education Minister V. Sivankutty strongly opposed the move, calling it an RSS-backed programme.

"We will not accept this in any form. The Governor is attempting to run a parallel administration without the state cabinet's approval, and this is not acceptable at all," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had declared August 14 as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day in 2021, coinciding with India's 75th Independence Day celebrations.

Joining issue and attacking Arlekar was Leader of Opposition V.D.Satheesan, who demanded that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan break his silence on this issue.

"It is unconstitutional for the Governor to take decisions and act in parallel to the state government, sidelining it. Through this circular, the Governor is sending a clear message that, despite holding a constitutional post, he remains a spokesperson for the RSS and its divisive politics," he said.

"The Chief Minister and the state government must break their silence and make their stance clear. The Governor must be officially informed of the government's protest against these unconstitutional actions," said Satheesan.

The controversy comes amid ongoing tensions between the Governor's office and the state government over the administration of higher education in Kerala. Incidentally, last month, Arlekar asked Vice Chancellors to attend the national education conference of a Sangh Parivar-affiliated organisation, 'Gyan Sabha.'

The event saw four VCs - Kerala University's Mohan Kunnummal, Calicut University's P. Ravindran, Kannur University's K.K. Saju, and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies' (KUFOS) A. Bijukumar - taking part in the event.

/IANS