Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi on Friday launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister MK Stalin, alleging that the state police were used to intimidate vice-chancellors of state universities and prevent them from attending a two-day Vice-Chancellors’ Conference held at Raj Bhavan in Udhagamandalam. The conference was inaugurated by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar.
Ravi claimed that vice-chancellors of state-run universities boycotted the event following threats and harassment. Referring to an incident involving Periyar University Vice-Chancellor R. Jagannathan, he said that on the day of the conference, one vice-chancellor was taken to the police station in Salem. He further alleged that other vice-chancellors staying in Ooty hotels were visited late at night by state police and threatened with serious consequences if they attended the conference.
During his address at the event, Ravi called it a “gross abuse of the police force” and questioned whether vice-chancellors had lost their academic freedom. He suggested that Stalin might fear that improvements in state university standards, which largely benefit Dalit and poor students, could pose a political threat to him.
Vice-President Dhankhar praised Governor Ravi for taking the initiative to organize the conference, calling it a part of his constitutional responsibility under Article 159 of the Constitution. Dhankhar noted that the Governor’s actions aligned with his oath of office, similar to that of the President of India.
Meanwhile, members of the Congress, TPDK, and communist parties staged protests in Ooty against the conference. Ravi likened the situation to the days of the Emergency, alleging that when telephonic threats from the Minister of Higher Education failed, police intimidation was used.