The actions taken across universities in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jobner, Bharatpur and Udaipur often followed complaints submitted by student groups, particularly the ABVP, which had been protesting on campuses.
Days after The Indian Express reported that a nudge by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) had a role to play in the ouster of five Vice Chancellors in Rajasthan this year, the National Organising Secretary of the outfit, Ashish Chauhan, has said that it is incorrect to assume “that decision was taken merely on the basis of our protests”.
“The Governor (Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde) is not answerable to us; we are very small but precise. We bring information from the ground — and student organisations do speak on the subject of education,” he said.
He said it would also be incorrect to assume that all the Vice Chancellors mentioned in the story are good and that ABVP is in the wrong.
He also panned the Vice Chancellors for what he said were derogatory words towards the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad.
The report focused on how Rajasthan has seen the ouster of five university Vice-Chancellors by Governor Haribhau Bagade over alleged lapses, including violations of university statutes, financial irregularities and misuse of authority against these Vice Chancellors .
The actions taken across universities in Bikaner, Jodhpur, Jobner, Bharatpur and Udaipur often followed complaints submitted by student groups, particularly the ABVP, which had been protesting on campuses.
The Vice Chancellors concerned have denied the charges against them.
Apart from some of the Vice Chancellors in question, The Indian Express spoke to local ABVP leaders who were
students at the respective universities and were part of the protests.
Chauhan, however, said the state has more senior ABVP leaders – the outfit’s national secretary hails from Rajasthan and the CWC member until recently also hails from Jaipur. He further said that all three prants in Rajasthan have a pradesh mantri.