JOIN USStudents of all departments went on a strike and walked out of classes, to protest outside the main building.
Students boycotted all classes and said that they would continue to strike till the V-C appointed the new registrars.
Rajeev Kumar Baagi, a research scholar at the varsity, who was leading the protests said: “We will continue to protest and stay out of class till the new registrar takes charge.” He added that the students will not allow any department to function till the V-C met their demands.
Meanwhile, the V-C’s stance against the new appointments took on caste overtones with several sections accusing him wanting to create a coterie. One student said: “This is a move by the V-C to surround himself with men from his community.”
However, the newly appointed Registrar Dr M G Krishnan ruled out the possibility of caste being a factor.
“I do not think caste has anything to with the stalling of our appointments and the entire matter remains a mystery to me,” he said. He added that the registrar’s office was locked so they had no option but to wait for further developments.
And Dr M S Talwar, the newly appointed Registrar (Evaluation) said that the strike was entirely voluntary and was not something that either of the registrars endorsed. “In fact, I had a morning class and went ahead as usual,” he added.
V-C blames print media, says he’s hurt
Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor Dr N Prabhu Dev has issued a clarification saying that the media has “totally distorted” the issue. Dr Prabhu Dev said that the uncharitable remarks made against him in the newspapers had hurt him personally.
A release issued by him said: “Personally, I hold them (both newly appointed registrars) in the highest regards. I would like to reiterate that I have no personal agenda.” He added that he had simply “requested them to wait for the new Government Order, which was expected shortly.”