The Kerala cabinet on Wednesday decided to bring an ordinance to remove the governor as the chancellor of state universities amid the ongoing battle between the Raj Bhavan and the Left Democratic Front government.

The cabinet decided to appoint reputable academics as chancellors to head the 14 state universities.

The move comes at a time when governor Arif Mohammed Khan, as chancellor of the state universities, had sought to remove the vice-chancellors of 11 universities citing violation of UGC norms in their appointments.

He issued showcause notices asking why they should be allowed to continue in office.

The VCs challenged the notice and got interim relief from Kerala High Court that ordered status quo.

While Khan had in December last year repeatedly asked the state government to free him from the task of chancellor, he took the opposite stand on Wednesday, saying he would refer the matter to the President.

“I don’t want to sit in judgement on this matter. It is not a case of making alternative arrangements. They basically have targeted me. Since they have targeted me, I will not like to be judged for my own cause. I will refer the matter for the consideration of the honourable President,” the governor told a Malayalam channel.

Higher education minister R. Bindu told reporters the ordinance had been brought to protect higher education.

“The government cannot sit idle when the functioning of the universities is affected. It will also damage the interests of the state as a whole,” Bindu said. The minister said a commission headed by former VC of Ambedkar University, Delhi, Shyam B. Menon, had in its report recommended separate chancellors for state universities.

“The government is not at all bent on removing the governor from the chancellor’s post. As you all know, the government wanted him to continue in spite of the governor repeatedly asking the government to remove him as chancellor. Even the chief minister took the path of reconciliation,” Bindu said.

“But look at the situation now. The universities are no longer in a position to function freely.”