Delhi: BJP’s Sirsa files complaint over Dyal Singh Evening renaming

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa has filed a police complaint against the principal of the Dyal Singh (evening) college and the chairman of their governing body over the change in the institution’s name to Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya

Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa has filed a police complaint against the principal of the Dyal Singh (evening) college and the chairman of their governing body over the change in the institution’s name to Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa alleged that the governing body violated the norms of the 1976 transfer deed between the Dyal Singh Trust and the Delhi University by renaming the college. (Arijit Sen /HT File)

He has alleged that the governing body violated the norms of the 1976 transfer deed between the Dyal Singh Trust and the Delhi University by renaming the college.

Despite opposition from a section of students and teachers, the governing body of the renamed it on Friday and passed a resolution to make it a regular shift college, that would function within the same campus as the Dyal Singh College. The teachers and students had been dissatisfied with the proposal that the newly changed regular shift college would continue to function in the same campus, thereby cutting into the resources and creating infrastructural constraints.

According to Sirsa, the original transfer deed between the Dyal Singh Trust and the university clearly stated that the “college after its takeover by the university will continue to be known as Dyal Singh College,” and the governing body had “intentionally violated the resolution and transfer deed” thereby committing a “conspiracy.”

He has filed a complaint with the North Avenue police station on Monday asking for appropriate actions. New Delhi DCP, BK Singh, said that they have received the complaint and may take appropriate action after analysing its contents.

“By changing the name, the university has null and voided the transfer deed, and no longer have any right over the college,” said Sirsa.

The principal of the evening college, PK Sharma, who is also a member of the GB, said that they had not changed the name of Dyal Singh College, but of Dyal Singh (Evening) College. “It may not have been envisaged then that the evening college would be changed to a regular shift college, and that two institutions with the same name would end up functioning in the same campus,” he said.

He also added that the new name was pending approval from the university, and if they decided against it for any reason they would abide by it.

However, the change of name had also received flak from student wings of political parties. Sharma also added that the section of students, overwhelmingly from the morning shift college who continued to protest against the change, were being misled by a section of teachers and were being mobilised for political gains.

“We got the notification from the Executive council on September 21, approving the change in shift, and we had classes happening since the next Monday. We have had no problems till now. We use around 27 rooms of the morning college when they are not being used by them. We also have 40 plus rooms that were newly constructed to accommodate our classes,” he said. He also added that while the total number of students had reduced from around 3,200 to 2,650 thsi year, the number of female students had increased from 800 to 1,250 because of the shift change.