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Allahabad University vice chancellor threatens to quit over political interference

The controversy started with the university being compelled to reverse its decision of allowing only online entrance tests for PG courses. The decision is reported to have been reversed after some BJP MPs met Irani.

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Allahabad University vice chancellor Ratan Lal Hangloo has taken the Union HRD ministry virtually head on, alleging "political interference", and has threatened to quit along with his associates. The enraged VC said the undue interference had brought the varsity's administrative machinery to a "standstill" and went to the extent of saying that "MPs or MLAs can be made VCs instead of academicians to toe the government line".

The VC's caustic statements are seen as a direct attack against Union HRD minister Smriti Irani who has denied the charges and blamed the Samajwadi Party for the politicking on the campus. In a surprising development on Wednesday, the VC wrote to the Vice-President of India saying all was well between the university and the HRD ministry.

The controversy started with the university being compelled to reverse its decision of allowing only online entrance tests for PG courses. The decision is reported to have been reversed after some BJP MPs met Irani.

A number of students' union leaders, including its vice-president and general secretary who belong to the ABVP, were on a hunger strike to press the demand for the offline option citing poor Internet connectivity.

"This is a central university and used to be called the Oxford of the East in the past. There can be no possibility of the institution regaining its lost glory if political interference continues," Hangloo, who recently drew flak from BJP leaders over his handling of a students' agitation, had told reporters on Tuesday evening.

He alleged that many politicians belonging to various parties were meddling in the university's affairs and that the varsity would not grow if politicians interfered.

"We want to take the university on the path of excellence and this is a jolt to our aim. All my associates are saying this is a jolt to the university and politicians are hampering the university's growth. The political interference is a setback for the university.

"If politicians continue to interfere, we all will have to leave. Then government can run the university as per their opinion. Then it would be better to have MLAs or MPs as VCs in place of academicians," Hangloo said.

A group of BJP MPs and MLAs had on May 5 visited the varsity and criticised the VC for "mishandling" the students' stir.

Hangloo has been repeatedly accused by the students' union president Richa Singh of the Samajwadi Party of being partisan towards those owing allegiance to BJP and the Sangh Parivar.

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