Will not go on leave. Will resign instead, says BHU VC

With speculation mounting that the HRD Ministry was considering asking Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Vice Chancellor (VC) GC Tripathi to go on leave, a fallout of the brutal lathicharge on female hostel inmates protesting growing instances of molestation in the university, Tripathi was insistent that he wouldn't proceed on leave.

"I would prefer to send my resignation instead of going on a leave," he said. Meanwhile, sources in government also denied any such possibility.

Official sources in the HRD ministry said that there was no plan to send the VC on a leave as he does not hold any executive powers and is due to demit office in the next two months. "The process of appointment of the new VC is a routine process which will be started soon," sources said.

Sources said sending the VC on a leave would further spark controversy, which is why they do not plan on doing anything like that. Sources in BHU also said that there is no communication from the ministry so far.