Centre vs MK Stalin: Tamil Nadu Assembly adopts bill empowering state to appoint Vice-Chancellors

While the BJP opposed the bill at the introductory stage, the main opposition AIADMK staged a walkout ahead of the passage of the bill.

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Assembly on Monday adopted a bill empowering the state government to appoint Vice-Chancellors to various universities in the state, in an apparent bid to clip the wings of the Governor on the matter.

Higher Education Minister K Ponmudy tabled the bill to amend the Tamil Nadu Universities Laws to allow the state government to appoint VCs to the varsities.

The BJP opposed the bill at the introductory stage while the main opposition AIADMK, taking exception to a remark on late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa by Congress Legislature Party leader K Selvaperunthagai, staged a walkout ahead of the passage of the bill.

Earlier, Chief Minister M K Stalin, while appealing to members to support the government's initiative, said that "even in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the vice-chancellors are not appointed by the governor but the State. The same was the case with other states including Telangana and Karnataka."

Opposition PMK supported the bill.