University of Mysore professor urges Chief Secretary to quash illegal suspension

Refuting the charges, he feared that ille gal suspension is a serious tendency of undermining freedom of expression and social responsibility which are the basic tenet of the Constitution of India.

MYSURU: University of Mysore Prof B P Maheshchandra Guru has urged the Chief Secretary and the chairperson, Karnataka State Election Monitoring Committee, and the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education, to quash his suspension order for allegedly campaigning in favour of a political party.

Refuting the charges, he feared that ille gal suspension is a serious tendency of undermining freedom of expression and social responsibility which are the basic tenet of the Constitution of India.

Guru said he had participated in a programme on 'Save Democracy-Eradicate Communalism' organised by Karnataka State Backward Communities Forum and Federation of Progressive Associations in Mysuru on April. 13, as a resource person and called upon people to save civil society, democracy and Constitution in India. "I had consciously made this appeal to right thinking persons as an intellectual and social activist in accordance with Article 19-1-A which guarantees Freedom of Speech and Expression,he added.

He said the University of Mysore issued a show cause notice to him on April 16, 2018 on the basis of false and motivated complaint based on media reports that had no material evidence to a case of misbehavior .

He alleged the registrar and the Vice-chancellor, University of Mysore, has placed him under suspension on April 23 without examining facts and obtaining approval of the syndicate which is the highest disciplinary authority.

He alleged that the in-charge Vice-chancellor is a relative of a top BJP leader and RSS leaders.

Two UoM profs suspended for attending political meet

Mysuru: Two professors of the University of Mysore have been suspended for taking part in a meeting organised on behalf of the Congress party. Prof P Maheshchandra Guru, chairman of the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication and Prof Arvind Malgatthi of Kuvempu Institute of Kannada Studies ( KIKS), University of Mysore, are those two professors who are facing the charges.

According to highly placed sources at the varsity, the action was based on a complaint from the deputy commissioner's office, also the returning officer.

However, varsity authorities who relied on both print and video evidences, found them sharing the dais with Yathindra Siddaramaiah, Congress candidate from Varuna. The banner in the backdrop had a portrait of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with a slogan seeking votes for the Congress. The charges against them are expected to be framed once the varsity syndicate is convened after the elections.

Following Guru's suspension, Associate Professor Puttaswamy is handed over the charge of Journalism Department chairman.

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