I’ll go at a date and time of my choice: Kurien

Admitting for the first time in public that he may be stepping down, Kurien said: ‘‘I am 83, the age of the Pope. I have heard he is not in good shape. I, too, have no problem in stepping down. I will step down. But I will do so at a date and time of my choosing.’’

He said that work still remained to be done. ‘‘There are 900 management institutes catering to the industry, and only one for rural management. It should be the reverse. That job needs to be done,’’ he said.

He said the chairman’s position was ‘‘a nice chair to have and it appears there’s a conspiracy to capture it. They want it for money and find me an obstacle. If they get me out they’d end up killing each other.’’

Kurien dismissed the formation of a sub-committee to select a new chairman as unconstitutional. ‘‘As I understand the rules of law, I am the chairman and a new one could be considered only after I step down.’’