Pune college row: Student wings demand ouster of principal

Student wings affiliated to Congress, NCP and various other political outfits on Tuesday demanded the ouster of Fergusson College Principal over a letter written to city police seeking action against group of students for purportedly raising anti-national slogans during an event in Pune.

"We don't think it was a typographical or human error. It was a pre-meditated ploy to dash off such a letter and we demand that Principal, R G Pardeshi should be sacked by the Deccan Education Society, which runs the college," said a member from the students wing during a press conference in Pune.

Pardeshi had later retracted his statement after several organisations accused it of branding students as anti-nationals without any proof. Police too has clarified in their internal report that no anti-national slogans were raised during the intense argument between a group of students, belonging to Ambedkarite movement and ABVP members on March 22, when Alok Singh, JNU ABVP president was addressing an informal event on 'Truth of JNU'.

Members of the various student and youth wings affiliated to NSUI, NCP, RPI and Sambhaji Brigade accused that the college administration had acted and issued the letter under the pressure of some right wing organisations.

On Kanhaiya Kumar's rally in Pune, a member of Sambhaji Brigade said they would protect the JNUSU president during his program in the city.

"If they (BJYM) try to attack him or try to create ruckus, appropriate reply will be given to them," he warned.

After the fracas at Fergusson College here during an ABVP-organised discussion on 'Truth of JNU', wherein a BJYM leader allegedly threatened the students of Ranade Institute that they would be thrashed if they invited Kumar, students from these two institutes and those from FTII came together and formed a joint forum to invite Kumar here. Dates of Kumar's visit are yet to be decided.