A Senate meeting of the University of Calicut (CU) held on the main campus on Saturday (June 20) witnessed uproarious scenes as pro-Left members and pro-United Democratic Front (UDF) members entered into heated arguments over the delay in scheduling Syndicate meetings.

Sources said M.B. Faisal, a pro-Left member, highlighted the issue. It was mandatory to hold Syndicate meetings at least once every two months. Also, a notice would have to be served on the members a week in advance. Since the last Syndicate meeting was held on April 24, it would not be possible to follow the rule in the current circumstances. Mr. Faisal also alleged that in the absence of Syndicate meetings, Vice-Chancellor (V-C) P. Raveendran had been exercising its powers on his own. He said appointments, including that of the Registrar, were also being made without the approval of the Syndicate. Mr. Faisal also claimed that the V-C was taking anti-democratic and unilateral decisions.

Countering this, pro-UDF member P. Rasheed Ahammed said Senate and Syndicate members nominated by the erstwhile Left Democratic Front government had no moral right to get involved in administrative affairs. He said those six nominated members should have given up their posts soon after the UDF government assumed charge. This led to a heated exchange of words between the pro-Left and pro-UDF groups. However, the pandemonium did not last long.