VIJAYAWADA: Rubbishing the allegations of the YSRCP MLCs that the TDP-led NDA government threatened the Vice-Chancellors to tender resignationas to their posts, HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh requested the AP Legislative Council Chairman to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee.
The Council on Tuesday witnessed a high-voltage drama with the Opposition YSRCP leaders charging the government of threatening and forcing the resignations of V-Cs appointed during the previous government. With Leader of Opposition Botcha Satyanarayana demanding an inquiry saying that the Chairman of AP State Council for Higher Education issued oral instructions to the V-Cs to submit resignations, Lokesh, armed with copies of their resignation letters demanded the YSRCP MLCs to show the word ‘threatened’ in the letters as claimed by them.
Stating that it was the previous YSRCP government, which forced several V-Cs to submit resignations, Lokesh asserted that the coalition government took up the appointment of V-Cs with utmost transparency. Accusing the previous regime of ignoring all the practices in appointing V-Cs, Lokesh said that the daughter-in-law of Raja Reddy’s sister was appointed as V-C despite lacking eligibility. Similarly, Prasad Reddy, who acted as YSRCP activist was appointed as the V-C of Andhra University.
Apart from organising the birthday celebrations of the then Chief Minister YS Jagan, Prasad Reddy also conducted surveys with students for the political parties, Lokesh claimed. He said that out of all the 17 V-Cs tendered resignations, 10 of them mentioned personal/no reasons as the cause. While two V-Cs mentioned that they are resigning to their posts to give free hand to the government for appointing new V-Cs, five others cited that they are resigning to their posts following the oral instructions.
While pointing out that none of the V-Cs used the word ‘threatening’ in their resignation letter, Lokesh asserted that the matter should be referred to the Privileges Committee.