State university Vice-Chancellors skip Ooty meet, TN Guv sees CM Stalin hand
Gross abuse of Police by CM to arm-twist vice-chancellors, says Governor; Dhankhar commends him for putting together ‘thoughtful initiative’;
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar poses for group photos during the inauguration of the Vice Chancellors conference in Tamil Nadu, in Udhagamandalam (PTI)
COIMBATORE: Governor RN Ravi on Friday made a scathing attack on Chief Minister MK Stalin, saying he used the police to deter vice-chancellors of state universities from participating in the annual two-day conference of conference of Vice-Chancellors of state, central and private universities at Raj Bhavan in Udhagamandalam. The vice-chancellors of state-run universities boycotted the conference inaugurated by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
“It is reminiscent of the Emergency days. When telephonic threats from the Minister of Higher Education to the V-C’s, asking them not to participate in the conference, did not work, Stalin used the police,” he said in a post on X, after participating in the inaugural function of the conference.
In reference to Periyar University vice-chancellor R Jagannathan being questioned by the Salem police on Friday, Ravi said, on the day of the conference, one vice-chancellor has been taken to the police station.
“Others who reached Ooty had midnight knocks on their hotel rooms by the state police who then threatened them with dire consequences and that they would not be allowed to go home if they attended the conference,” he said, in the post.
Raising the same allegations during his address at the conference, Ravi said, “I, therefore, advise them to take care of their families and not to jeopardise their interests.”
Terming it as a gross abuse of the police force, Ravi asked, “Don’t V-C’s have academic freedom to attend an academic conference within the state? Or is Stalin afraid of the consequences of the rise in standards of state universities, which largely caters to Dalit and poor students, and any quality improvement will make them aspirational and inspirational, which could be a threat to his political future?”
The vice-president commended Ravi for his 'thoughtful initiative', which he first took in 2022. "I must commend Governor Ravi for doing this as his constitutional ordainment. He has taken oath under Article 159 of the Indian Constitution," Dhankhar said. His oath, as that of the President of India, was very significant.
Earlier, members of the Congress party, TPDK, and communist parties staged a protest in Ooty against the governor’s conference.