Alumni issue: Dikshit writes to Stephen's principal

Round 3 of St Stephen's College vs Congress member of Parliament Sandeep Dikshit, a former student, just got underway. Mallica Joshi reports.

Round 3 of St Stephen's College vs Congress member of Parliament Sandeep Dikshit, a former student, just got underway.

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Two weeks after college principal Valson Thampu sent a notice to Dikshit and six others to stop using the college name for their alumni body, the association has hit back.

In a letter to the college, the association has denied the charges levelled by Thampu and said his intentions were suspect.

Dikshit and Thampu were involved in a very public spat in May when the Congress leader said the principal was running the institution like a communal body.

Dikshit then launched a parallel alumni association and registered it in July.

Thampu retaliated and issued a "cease and desist" notice to the association in the first week of September, asking the members not to use the name of the college.

The association has been registered in accordance with the rules, says the letter dated September 21.

Three other institutions share the St Stephen's name. One is in Hong Kong and the other two in Kerala, it says.