State varsity V-Cs stay away from Governor’s conference

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurating the conference of Vice-Chancellors of State, Central and private universities at Raj Bhavan in Udhagamandalam on Friday.
| Photo Credit: ANI

After the Vice-Chancellors of State universities skipped a conference organised by him at the Raj Bhavan in Udhagamandalam on Friday, Governor R.N. Ravi claimed that the Tamil Nadu government had used police force to prevent the V-Cs from attending the event.

Speaking at the inauguration of the two-day conclave, Mr. Ravi said, “Unfortunately, at this conference, the State universities have not participated because they have informed me, even in writing, that they have been warned by the State government not to participate.”

“As of now, one of our Vice-Chancellors is in the police station. Some Vice-Chancellors had reached Ooty and something unprecedented happened… there was a midnight knock at one of their doors. The secret police – the special branch police of the State — told him that if he participates, he will not be able to go home,” the Governor alleged. He added that he had advised the V-Cs to return home and take care of their families due to the alleged threats by the police.

Later in the day, the Governor wondered if Tamil Nadu was a “police State”, and whether the V-Cs did not have the freedom to attend academic conferences.

In a social media post by the Raj Bhavan a few hours after the conference, the Governor said, “The way the CM Thiru. Stalin used police to deter the Vice-Chancellors of State universities from participating in the pre-scheduled conference today is reminiscent of the Emergency days.”

He further claimed that the Chief Minister had used the police after “telephonic threats from the Minister for Higher Education to the V-Cs not to participate in the conference did not work”.

“Or is CM Stalin afraid of the consequences of the rise in standards of State universities, which largely cater to Dalit and poor students, and that any quality improvement will make them aspirational and inspirational, which could be a threat to his political future,” he asked.

Protests staged

More than 400 functionaries from various political outfits, including the Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi were arrested across Udhagamandalam on Friday for staging protests against the Governor.