Kerala Sanskrit varsity row: HoD’s alleged warning over Governor’s event, send-off attendance sparks SFI protest

An audio clip, purportedly that of the Head of Department of Sanskrit Vyakarana at the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS) in Kerala, warning students of “non-cooperation” on the part of faculty members if they failed to attend a send-off programme of a teacher and the inauguration of the varsity’s Sree Sankara Jayanti celebrations by Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar evoked protests by the members of Students Federation of India (SFI) on the Kalady campus on Tuesday (April 21, 2026).

The voice clip, allegedly posted in the WhatsApp group of research scholars, started circulating on social media a few hours before the commencement of the Governor’s programme around 11 a.m. In it, R.D. Sunil Kumar, HoD, is reportedly heard warning the research scholars that they may not receive the cooperation of the teachers at the time of Research Advisory Committee meeting and open defence, if they failed to attend both the programmes.