The vice-chancellor of Uttarakhand Ayurved University, Satyendra Prasad Mishra has said that university registrar Mritunjay Mishra should have been removed from the post when the State Governor as university chancellor had objected to his appointment.
The VC who had created a stir with his letter to Chief Minister Harish Rawat mentioning that he feels threat to his life from the registrar, met this correspondent at his residence at the university campus. He said that the appointment of the registrar was questioned by the Raj Bhavan more than once.
“Initially I kept quiet hoping that action would be initiated against him but later I too decided to take a stand opposing his appointment. His attitude towards me has changed since then,’’ he said. The VC added that the appointment of Mritunjay Mishra was against the University act and the Governor also took exception of his being absorbed in the university from his parent department. On the question of why he fears a threat to his life, the VC said that "given the track record of the present registrar" and the fact that he (VC) lives on campus with his wife, he feels a threat.
Earlier an armed policeman was provided to him for protection but was withdrawn during the imposition of president's rule. When asked about the issue of his being overage for the post of VC, he said that his date of birth is July 14, 1949 and a search committee headed by retired Justice VS Verma cleared his name which was endorsed by the Governor.
The VC said that he wants the nascent university to fulfill the purpose of its establishment and be kept away from controversy.
When contacted, the registrar Mritunjay Mishra refused to comment on the issue. However reacting to the apprehension of security raised by the VC, the registrar asked the local police station to provide security to the VC on his own expense. In the letter the registrar has said that the VC is perhaps raising the issue of his security to divert attention from the fact that the university has lodged an FIR seeking police investigation into the case in which the VC had failed to provide the required documents in the High Court of Uttarakhand in the Neeraj Kumar Dhulia Vs Satyendra Prasad Mishra case. In it Dhulia has questioned the appointment of Satyendra Prasad Mishra as VC on the fact of his being over age for the post. The registrar also sought explanation from the personal security staff of the VC.