Denying any involvement in the controversial college union elections in Sree Kerala Varma College, Higher Education Minister R. Bindu lashed out at the Kerala Students Union (KSU), accusing the Congress-feeder organisation of attempting to disrupt law and order to conceal its embarrassment of losing the polls.
She also told mediapersons here on Wednesday that she received no complaints in connection with the elections.
Her media interaction outside her office at the Secretariat Annex II witnessed dramatic scenes when four KSU workers breached security at the gates to approach the Minister. They waved flags and yelled slogans at her before being removed by police personnel, who were caught unawares.
Dr. Bindu maintained that the responsibility of college union elections lay solely with the returning officers appointed by the respective institutions and any grievances could be brought to the notice of the university.
“A Minister does not intervene in the election proceedings of any college. Such activities are conducted in accordance with the university rules,” she said, challenging the protesters to provide evidence of her involvement as alleged.
Spectacle row
The Minister also questioned the propriety of sensationalising her claim for reimbursement for a pair of spectacles.
Dr. Bindu had come in for intense scrutiny after the Finance Department approved her claim request for ₹30,500 that she paid for a pair of spectacles amid the State’s financial constraints.
The Mahila Congress took out a march to the Secretariat raising the issue among others earlier in the day.
Pointing out that the reimbursement of spectacle allowance was in accordance with the prescribed rules, she claimed United Democratic Front (UDF) legislators too had availed themselves of the provision. She cited claims made by Eldhose Kunnappilly and T.J. Vinod for bills of ₹35,842 and ₹31,600 respectively.
