Apologise to Kerala: CM Satheesan slams Vice Chancellors for attending RSS event

Published 15 June 2026 · politics

A political controversy has erupted in Kerala after Chief Minister VD Satheesan demanded an apology from three Vice Chancellors who attended an RSS centenary event

A political controversy has erupted in Kerala after Chief Minister VD Satheesan demanded an apology from three Vice Chancellors who attended an RSS centenary event addressed by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, calling their participation a "grave lapse" that was unbecoming of their office. In a strongly worded post on X, Satheesan said the presence of the Vice Chancellors at the RSS programme ran contrary to Kerala's educational traditions and had diminished the dignity associated with the post. Read Full Story "We view with utmost seriousness the participation of three Vice-Chancellors in an RSS centenary event addressed by Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat. This is a grave lapse. Their action is unbecoming of Keralam's educational tradition and the dignity of their office," Satheesan wrote. The controversy centres on the participation of the Vice Chancellors of Kerala University, Mahatma Gandhi University and Malayalam University in the RSS centenary celebrations held on Saturday.

'THEY HAVE UNDERMINED THAT RESPECT' Satheesan said the people of Kerala held the office of Vice Chancellor in high regard and argued that the participation of the three academics in the RSS event had weakened that public trust. "The people of Keralam hold the post of vice-chancellor in high esteem. By attending a programme led by an RSS leader who preaches extreme communalism, they have undermined that respect," he said. The Chief Minister also took aim at what he described as attempts to legitimise communal politics, saying such actions could not be accepted regardless of who was responsible. "Any act that promotes communalism, whoever commits it, is unacceptable and will not be condoned," he wrote. DEMANDS APOLOGY Escalating his criticism, Satheesan said the three Vice Chancellors should apologise to the people of Kerala for attending the RSS function. "All three Vice-Chancellors who attended the RSS programme must apologise to the people of Keralam," he said.

His remarks have intensified a debate over whether senior academic administrators should participate in events organised by ideological organisations and political movements. RSS CENTENARY EVENT SPARKS ROW The RSS programme was organised as part of the organisation's centenary celebrations and was addressed by Mohan Bhagwat. While the event itself drew considerable attention, the presence of the three Vice Chancellors quickly became the focal point of a political dispute. BJP HITS BACK BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar launched a sharp counterattack. In a post on X, Chandrasekhar accused Satheesan of hypocrisy on secularism and questioned his criticism of the Vice Chancellors for attending a public programme addressed by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. "Let us be very clear and honest with the people of Keralam. Someone who has normalised radical Islam, anti-Constitution, anti-secular organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami and who is in power only because of support of Muslim League and Jamaat-e-Islami must not ever talk about supporting secularism or respecting the Constitution," Chandrasekhar wrote.