Published On : Wed, Dec 21st, 2016

Why VC Kane won’t act against ABVP activists despite grave provocation?

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Nagpur: Some Nagpur University student ‘leaders’ break the locks on the gate of the University office; then barge into the VC’s office. Not just that, they carry bicycles inside to protest the small matter of cycle parking charges being levied on students outside examination halls after VC Kane had already given instructions that they should be waived off.

Should the students not have been arrested or at least FIRs filed against them?

But neither happened.

What did happen is that the Vice Chancellor of the Nagpur University is now forced to appoint bouncers in plain clothes, similar to those employed in ‘beer bars’ to protect himself and the University property.

University Registrar Meshram confirmed that vandalism had taken place on 6th December and 2-3 “mischievous elements” whom some genuine students were unwittingly following had broken into the VC Dr. Kane’s office.

“The matter they were purportedly agitating against had nothing to do with University in the first place. Affiliate colleges where Uni. exams are held were charging parking fees from students who were going there to give exams. The protests should have been held against the Principals of those colleges since the NU had already given a letter saying colleges should not charge such fees” said Registrar Meshram while talking to Nagpur Today.

He also clarified that no FIR was charged against them as there were no orders to do so and immediately after the act of vandalism it had been made clear that no complaint was to be made.

“The VC as the administrative head had taken the call” said Uni sources.

Even Kane had acknowledged ABVP activists’ vandalism and said that they shouldn’t have damaged NU’s property and gained entry into VC’s chambers without permission. But what prevented him from reporting the matter is a moot question. It seems obvious that ABVP being the student wing of ruling party BJP, such an action ‘would not have been allowed’ by BJP leaders.

As per a report in toi, Nagpur :

Earlier also, the University had failed to lodge FIR against Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) activists in 2014, who had damaged property by forcefully gaining entry into the university’s premises, damaging potted plants and ransacking property. They had also allegedly misbehaved with the private security guards and police. It included the then BJYM secretary Jitendra Thakur, and present BJYM city President Shivani Dani. Names of both these activists were raised by the opposition parties in legislature regarding an incident at Government Medical College and Hospital, where its dean had lodged an FIR against Thakur under the Atrocities Act.

What Dr. Kane did do is beef up security around the University office premises with visitors requiring to park their vehicles outside and sign a register with details. Even two bouncers are placed near VC and pro-VC Pramod Yeole’s chambers in plain clothes to prevent entry of outsiders. These two are deployed besides regular class-IV staffers and guards.

“Those activists flouted all norms by taking bicycle into VC’s chamber and also breaking the locks, which was not right on their part. It happened despite the fact that we had already warned all colleges, which are allotted exam centres, not to charge parking fees for the examination period. We told them to check students’ hall tickets and exempt them during paper time. Still, they protested in a violent way,” he said justifying the move to tighten security.

“We may not have acted against the students, but we have acted by securing our offices and making such acts impossible in future” confirmed the Registrar.

The VC clarified that NU wouldn’t lodge any police complaint against ABVP activists. “I’ve decided to let them off, as they’re students and would suffer if FIR is filed.

“But we do have their pics on our CCTV” said Meshram; “it is not as if they will be let off completely”.

Sunita Mudliyar- Associate Editor