E-Paper
2 AU students go on hunger strike
ALLEGING MISUSE of funds at the Allahabad University's Zoology Department and to protest against the failure of the AU vice-chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe to order an inquiry into the matter, two varsity students started an indefinite hunger strike within the varsity premises on Thursday.
ALLEGING MISUSE of funds at the Allahabad University's Zoology Department and to protest against the failure of the AU vice-chancellor Prof Rajen Harshe to order an inquiry into the matter, two varsity students started an indefinite hunger strike within the varsity premises on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Prof Harshe, immediately after returning back to the city, on Wednesday evening convened a meeting of all the Zoology Department teachers and pulled them up for the 'in-fighting' existing between them.
Senior officials including AU Registrar Prof US Rai, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Prof GK Rai, Dean (Science) Prof Hari Prakash and the CPIO Prof Amrendra Singh besides Head of AU Zoology Department Prof Pratima Gaur also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, a senior teacher present in the meeting even claimed that he has come to know that it was the teachers of the Zoology department themselves who were divulging details of the alleged misuse of the funds.
Prof Harshe pointed out to the teachers that it was their infighting that was resulting in the varsity's name getting tarnished and reportedly also expressed his displeasure over the recent reports of misuse of funds in the Zoology department.
However, shying away from launching an inquiry, the VC issued a 'gag order' asking all those present in the meeting to refrain from divulging details of anything that was discussed in the meeting and ensure that no news of the meeting gets leaked to the Media.
Upset over the failure of the VC to order an inquiry, two students — Anand Kumar Singh and Satya Priya Singh Sengar— under the banner of Chhatra Shakti started an indefinite hunger this morning. The students, alleging misuse of lab grant, FIST and SAF grants in the Zoology department, along with their supporters first took out a procession and then started a hunger strike.
On their part, members of the Allahabad University Union (AUU) this morning decided to convene a meeting at the Union Hall on Friday morning to deliberate on the varsity administration's inaction over the issue and decide upon the union's future course of action.
Addressing the students, AUU general secretary Suresh Yadav pointed out that corruption is a major problem in the varsity and unless the VC orders an inquiry, the students will launch an agitation to press for their demands in this regard.
