A group of tribal students’ bodies in Manipur has called for an indefinite strike from Monday in support of Manipur University Vice Chancellor AP Pandey, who is facing calls for resignation over allegations of administrative negligence and misuse of funds, reported PTI. The group said Pandey’s removal must be based on the findings of the committee formed by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.
Pandey has worked with efficiency and maintained transparency ever since he assumed charge, the Joint Bodies of Tribal Students said in a statement. “We are also against the prolonged closure of the university,” the tribal students’ body said. The university has been closed for 52 days.
The Centre had set up a fact-finding committee on July 12 to look into the matter, but re-constituted it after students criticised the panel. The panel, now headed by retired Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court T Nandakumar, has a month to submit its report.
Meanwhile, the Manipur University Students’ Union, which has demanded Pandey’s removal, has announced its plans to disrupt the Assembly session on Monday as it has not discussed the impasse yet. The state administration has deployed a large number of security personnel in Imphal, including in front of the main office of Bharatiya Janata Party, Raj Bhavan, Secretariat and Assembly complex. The police said they were keeping iron barricades with barbed wires ready.
The state government has also ordered that all telecom services, except voice calls, be suspended, till July 24. The ban has been imposed to prevent rumours spreading via social media. This comes after Manipur government on Thursday suspended two policemen for caning students who clashed with security forces in Imphal.
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