GUWAHATI: A Manipur Congress spokesman has petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to probe his removal as a guest faculty in the department of philosophy of Manipur University which is a Central university.
Ningombam Bupenda Meitei was removed allegedly for his affiliation to the grand old party.
In a letter to Modi, he wrote he was “disgracefully and arbitrarily” removed in less than two months of his six months’ tenure.
“I, certainly, am not in a position to urge you in this regard, but do humbly and seriously request you to inquire whether an instruction, either orally or in writing or both, was sent either from your office or Union Ministry of Human Resources Development of India to the administrator of Manipur University to disgracefully remove me on August 6, a day just ahead of the starting of a new academic session of 2019-20,” Meitei wrote.
He was offered the position by the administrator Jarnail Singh, in the capacity of vice-chancellor, on the recommendation of the selection committee for six months from June 22-December 22. He had accepted the offer on June 22 and joined the department.
“As per university’s offer, only three conditions were stated. The three conditions were: (Appointment) initially for a period of six months from the date of joining the department, an honorarium of Rs.1500 per lecture subject to a maximum of Rs.50000 per month and cannot claim for regular appointment,” Meitei wrote.
As he was serving, he received a letter on August 6 from the varsity authorities who wanted to know if he is or was a primary member or designated spokesman of any political party.
Meitei said as he was answerable only to the three stated conditions, he did not feel like answering to any unrelated query.
“Any query unrelated to, or other than, the three stated conditions was irrelevant to me, I had my genuine right to remain silent on any such irrelevant query or queries,” he wrote.
He said he is a primary member of the Congress and a designated spokesperson of the party and that his full commitment would be to the Congress all his life.