Kerala Guv asking universities to observe ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ sparks political row
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar’s circular asking universities in the state to observe August 14 as ‘Partition Horrors Remembrance Day’ has ignited controversy, drawing sharp criticism from the state government and opposition leaders.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the directive to vice chancellors as “unconstitutional and unacceptable,” asserting that Kerala would not allow its campuses to be used for what he called the “Sangh Parivar’s divisive agenda.” Referring to August 15, the CM accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates of undermining India’s Independence Day, noting the RSS’s association with the British Raj rather than the freedom movement.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan also criticised the governor, calling the move unconstitutional and accusing him of representing the “divisive politics of the RSS,” according to Mathrubhumi.
The governor’s circular issued to the vice chancellor said that August 14, a day before Independence Day, has been declared as the Partition Horrors Remembrance Day and that the educational institutes “can organise seminars to commemorate the occasion”, The Indian Express reported.
The circular aligns with a 2022 University Grants Commission directive, which followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2021 announcement of the observance. However, this reportedly marks the first time universities in Kerala have received formal instructions to mark the occasion.
General Education Minister V. Sivankutty accused Governor Arlekar of overstepping his constitutional authority and attempting to run a “parallel administration” by instructing institutions to observe specific days without government consent.
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Dense fog disrupts operations at Delhi airport; 228 flights cancelled, 5 diverted
New Delhi (PTI): Dense fog disrupted flight operations at Delhi Airport on Monday, with various airlines cancelling 228 flights and diverting five to nearby airports due to low visibility, an official said.
However, except for Air India, which had in an X post in the morning announced the cancellation of some 40 flights, no other airlines, including crisis-hit IndiGo, shared the numbers of their cancelled or delayed flights.
"As many as 228 flights -- 131 departures and 97 arrivals-- have been cancelled due to low visibility, so far," the airport official said.
In addition to this, five flights have been diverted so far, he said.
Earlier, the Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL), in a statement, said, "Our on-ground officials are working closely with all stakeholders to assist passengers and provide necessary support across Terminals.
"Low visibility (below minima), due to dense fog, has severely impacted operations at Delhi and other airports across northern India, which is unfortunately beyond our control," IndiGo said in a statement.
As operations are adjusted to prevailing weather conditions, some flights may experience delays, while a few others may be proactively cancelled during the day to prioritise safety and minimise extended waiting at the airport, the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo, however, did not say how many of its flights were cancelled or delayed.
The airline said its teams are "closely monitoring" the situation and coordinating with Delhi airport.
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IndiGo also said it issued advisories to its customers and "proactively" informing them, to minimise inconvenience.
“Poor visibility due to dense fog in Delhi this morning has impacted flight operations for all airlines. We are closely monitoring conditions and will resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so,” Air India said in a post on X in the morning.
It also said that some flights have been cancelled In the interest of safety, and to avoid prolonged uncertainty for the guests, while listing out some 40 arrivals and departures that it had cancelled for the day.
Delhi airport is the country's busiest, handling around 1,300 flight movements daily.
