Rajya Sabha MP Prof Rakesh Sinha here on Saturday accused Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Government in the State of targeting academicians out of political vendetta.
Notably, the EOW has few days ago lodged an FIR in connection with the alleged irregularities in the Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication, Bhopal against 20 persons including former VC BK Kuthiyala and assistant professors and professors.
Prof Sinha who earlier served the university as guest faculty (on deputation) is also accused of getting appointment against norms.
Upset with the persistent media bashing, Prof Sinha dwelled into ‘excellent’ academic record adding he is a professor at Delhi University (DU) for years and claimed he was not jobless when he was invited for being faculty on deputation by the journalism university Bhopal.
It was a matter of services being transferred between DU and Makahnlal University and I did not receive salary from two places, said Prof Sinha. Saying it has been
publicised that I was in need of money but the fact was he received Rs five lakh as reward from the President and instead of getting her ailing
mother treated, he had donated the sum to a needy dalit family.
The visiting leader claimed the Kamal Nath government was creating an emergency like situation in MP by trampling the academicians. The academician fraternity of the country would take to streets to oppose this attitude, he claimed.
Accusing the Kamal Nath government of disrespecting constitutional bodies, Prof Sinha alleged the Vice President of India was the Chancellor of the university but his permission wasn’t sought for new VC’s appointment and also not before lodging FIR against teachers, which according to him was first such instance in the free India where an FIR has been registered against teachers in such numbers.
He said the enquiry committee did not even seek any reply from the persons concerned.
The MP went on to claim that seven Congress MLAs were upset with the happenings at journalism university and three of them have even met Kamal Nath with their dissent.
He however did not reveal the names of the MLAs claiming it was not a proper thing to do in elections.
He justified Bhopal university’s decision of seeking his services claiming that his centre translates content for 22 Urdu newspapers, he was a DU topper and did his PhD on a communist leader and have penned books which is why the university had decided to secure his services on deputation.
On his alleged absence from classes, Prof Sinha claimed as per the contract, he was required to undertake six hours of academic work per month in Bhopal.
Hitting back at Prof Sinha, MPCC media coordinator Narendra Saluja in a statement claimed that when Sinha’s anomalies are detected and EOW is probing the issue he is suddenly remembering morality and politicization of education.
Let him remember it was ex-VC who splurged varsity funds on ABVP and RSS affiliate bodies. In the manner he is leveling baseless allegations on the CM after being exposed needs no clarification, he added.
He also sought to remind academicians backing Prof Sinha of Dalit student Rohith Vemula's torture / suicide and bashing of Dalits in Pune by BJP govt. The MP govt has appointed the VC through a three-member search committee, he clarified. “By justifying the liquor consumption by ex-VC on university funds, it has exposed the true face of BJP/ RSS,” Saluja said.