Rajendra Arlekar | Saffron guard

When Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar assumed charge as the 23rd Governor of Kerala on January 2, 2025, few were surprised by what followed. A steadfast Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) loyalist and former Governor of Bihar and Himachal Pradesh, Mr. Arlekar’s appointment was widely seen as a continuation, if not escalation, of the ideological and administrative friction that had marked the tenure of his predecessor, Arif Mohammed Khan.

A member of the RSS from a young age and later associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) since 1989, Mr. Arlekar is a seasoned political leader from Goa. He served twice as a Member of the Goa Legislative Assembly. He held the post of Speaker from 2012 to 2015, and was Minister of Forest and Environment and Panchayati Raj from 2015 to 2017. He also led the BJP in the southwestern State for four years.

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Mr. Arlekar was appointed Governor of Himachal Pradesh in July 2021, and later assumed the role of Governor of Bihar in February 2023.

If Mr. Khan had redrawn the boundaries of gubernatorial conduct by repeatedly locking horns with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, Mr. Arlekar has wasted no time in sharpening the same edges, particularly in the contentious domain of higher education.

Kerala’s universities have long been battlegrounds for political influence. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)]-led LDF and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) have traditionally dominated academic bodies. However, the BJP made significant inroads during Mr. Khan’s tenure by securing entry into the Senates and Syndicates of major institutions such as Kerala and Calicut Universities.

Mr. Arlekar picked up where Mr. Khan left off in asserting the Governor’s authority over State-run universities, and insisting that he holds the “final say” in higher education matters. His assertion, backed by University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines and some court verdicts, has clashed head-on with the LDF government’s stance that State governments must retain control over publicly funded educational institutions. The impasse has led to a near-paralysis in university administration. Of the 14 State universities, 13 remain without regular Vice-Chancellors, with some positions lying vacant since October 2022. Interim appointments made by the Governor have often been met with non-cooperation from CPI(M)-dominated Syndicates, leaving students and faculty caught in a political crossfire.

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The judiciary has often stepped in to break such deadlocks. The Supreme Court recently adopted crucial steps by appointing former Supreme Court judge Sudhanshu Dhulia to head the search-cum-selection committees for Vice-Chancellor appointments in APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University and Digital University Kerala.

Tensions between Raj Bhavan and the Kerala government have not been limited to education. Symbolism, too, has become a flashpoint. A portrait of ‘Bharat Mata’, depicted holding a saffron flag before a lion and the map of ‘Akhand Bharat’, has been prominently displayed during official functions at the Kerala Raj Bhavan, drawing sharp rebuke from both the LDF and the UDF.

Mr. Arlekar defended the image as a symbol of the nation. But the critics viewed its use, closely tied to RSS iconography, as an affront to constitutional propriety. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote formally to the Governor, warning against the display of politically or religiously charged imagery at State functions. He also cited constitutional conventions and the supremacy of national symbols such as the tricolour and the national anthem.Mr. Arlekar’s ideological moorings run deep. A vocal admirer of Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar, he is perceived as a key BJP emissary tasked with expanding the party’s ideological footprint in a State long considered hostile to it. His previous gubernatorial stint in Bihar offers a familiar pattern. There too, he challenged the authority of the Nitish Kumar-led government in university appointments through actions that drew sharp political reactions.

In Kerala, his methods have stirred similar responses. Both the LDF and UDF accuse him of seeking to “saffronise” campuses under the pretext of reform. The Governor’s camp, meanwhile, claims the political coalitions, particularly the Left, are obstructing long-overdue changes for purely political reasons.

At its core, the ongoing confrontation between the Raj Bhavan and the State government is not merely about educational appointments or iconography. It is a clash of two visions: one rooted in the federal autonomy of elected governments, and the other in a centralised, ideologically driven re-imagination of institutions.

As the LDF government nears the end of its term, the Governor’s withholding of assent to key Bills, including those seeking to reform university governance and allow private universities, has further strained the already brittle relationship.

In Mr. Arlekar, Kerala may have received a new Governor some months ago, but the old battles continue, perhaps with even sharper ideological stakes.

Published – September 07, 2025 01:55 am IST

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