KCR will ask PM to recall Hyderabad varsity’s vice chancellor

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demand the recall of University of Hyderabad’s vice-chancellor Professor Appa Rao Podile.

KCR made a statement to this effect in the Telangana Assembly on Saturday, adding that he would seek Podile’s recall on the ground that his presence has been creating law and order problem on campus.

“I am sure the Prime Minister would certainly look into our demand and take action against the VC as his return has created agitations on the campus,” said KCR.

Replying to a debate in the Assembly on the violence that rocked the UoH this week, the CM said there would be an official probe into the incident of cane charging on the students and the arrest of students and some faculty members of UoH.

So far, 28 students and two associate professors were arrested on charges of ransacking the VC’s office on Tuesday.

Acting on the complaint filed by the VC, the police is likely to make some more arrests in the next few days.

The National Human Rights Commission, meanwhile, has issued notices to the state government on the violence that erupted in the UoH.

Though the administration and security of the campus were vested with the Union HRD ministry, the responsibility of maintaining overall law and order in the university is definitely in the domain of the state government, the CM argued in the Assembly.

KCR told the House that the decision to prevent JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar from entering the UoH was taken by the VC. “We provided full security and protection to Kanhaiya in Hyderabad and never prevented him from going anywhere,” the CM said.

KCR condemned the stopping of food, water and electricity supply to hostels and messes on UoH campus, which affected around 4,000 students of the university.

“We are definitely concerned over the situation from a humanitarian angle and would represent the matter to the Prime Minister and the Union HRD Minister (Smriti Irani),” KCR added while speaking in the Assembly.