Thaindian News

Panaji, Jan 21 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday demanded the immediate removal of Goa University registrar Mohan Sangodkar for allowing the varsity premises to be used for Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s political meeting.
The Goa University (GU) has already blamed the Youth Congress for keeping it in the dark on the political nature of Gandhi’s visit.

“The registrar should be sacked. He granted permission for Rahul Gandhi’s meeting despite opposition from the university’s vice-chancellor,” Leader of Opposition in the state assembly Manohar Parrikar said at a press conference in Panaji.

“Chief Minister Digambar Kamat pressurised the registrar to open the university’s gates for Rahul Gandhi’s function. What if we book the university premises for a Varun Gandhi meeting now? Will he be permitted? We can match a Gandhi for a Gandhi,” the BJP leader said.

Earlier, the varsity’s registrar told reporters here that action would be taken against those who sought permission for the Congress leader’s meetings.

“What they (Youth Congress) have done is not right at all. It’s totally an inappropriate use of the permission given by the Goa University,” Sangodkar said.

The varsity was under siege by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students wing of the BJP, a day before Gandhi’s Tuesday visit. The protesters alleged that the university campus has been politicized in connivance with the authorities, who allowed three political meetings on the apolitical campus.

The three meetings Tuesday, which created a lot of controversy in the state, included Gandhi’s interaction with Congress-backed National Students Union of India (NSUI) members, with Youth Congress members in the varsity’s conference room, and his speech to the Pradesh Congress Committee officials.

Sangodkar said the conference room was allotted to the Youth Congress only as a “stand by” arrangement.

“Whenever a VVIP comes to the university, a safe house is arranged for emergency purpose or confidential discussions. Nobody knew that it would be used for the type of meeting that was finally held in it,” he added.

The registrar, under pressure from the BJP, was also forced to withdraw a circular inviting students from all parts of Goa to attend the interaction session with Gandhi Tuesday.