By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: After Aligarh Muslim University, the BJP is all set to lock horns with Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) administration with its Minority Morcha leading the baton.
University’s teachers, students and other employee have in turn protested the ‘political’ and ‘outside’ interference.
The BJP state Minority Morcha since past month has been consistently raising allegations against MANUU administration of severe irregularities in recruitment and other administrative matters. After conducting press conferences on the issue, Minority Morcha president Haneef Ali took the fight to MANUU’s door steps by staging a dharna at its main gate ‘Bab-e-Ilm’ last Tuesday.
Fifty-odd members of the BJP Minority Morcha, including burqa clad women, carrying party flags and posters demanded CBI inquiry and raised slogans against MANUU’s vice chancellor Mohammad Miyan. The Morcha also demanded removal of its pro-vice chancellor Khawaja Shahid, who they claimed was allegedly appointed against University’s terms.
Apart from raising contentious issue of appointment of non-Urdu speakers in the Urdu University, BJP state Minority Morcha also questioned the issuance of fresh employment notification a week ago when vice chancellor Mohammad Miyan’s tenure will end in four months.
The Morcha alleged that the VC is awarding key positions in the University to the candidates of his choice. They also alleged discrimination against south Indians in the University appointments and claimed that employment notification was not circulated properly in southern India.
The University’s security officers were quick to lock down the main gate and soon the BJP protestors were taken into preventive custody by the police. A day later, the University erupted in protest, in a rare show of solidarity in the campus. Teachers’ association, students’ union and other employees’ associations staged a rally protesting the ‘political’ and ‘outside’ interference in the campus.
Addressing the gathering of staff and students, Dr Yousuf Khan, president of the MANUU Teachers’ Association said, “If there had been any irregularities as claimed by the vested interests, we would have been the first to raise our voice.”
Dr Mohammed Fariyad, former president of MANUUTA and Associate Professor of Department of Mass Communication, said: “The vested interest groups have been misinforming the media about the University and using the umbrella of various political outfits, as and when it suited them.”
Students’ union president Nooruzoha speaking at the protest meeting said that by interfering in the affairs of the university, “the destructive elements are playing with fire.”
In the resolution passed at the rally, the representatives of the participants said that they have decided to “safeguard the interests of our university against the wicked designs of individuals within or outside the MANUU.”
It is not the first time that corruption allegations have been raised against MANUU’s administration but never before the University registered counter protest. Speaking with TwoCircles.net, MANUU’s Public Relation Officer Abid Abdul Wassey explained: “It is because it is the first time a political party – that too BJP – has interfered in our affairs. Their party’s flags were enough to provoke the young students inside the campus.”
Wassey expressed his surprise for the sudden love BJP has developed for Urdu. “Never before they raised any issue for the language or for the University. Why all of a sudden? We believe Minority Morcha is getting controlled and fed by someone else with vested interest to tarnish the name of MANUU.”
He also added that administration would have welcome Haneef Ali had he approached them in a professional manner. “If Morcha had any grievance they can write to the VC or the Chancellor, we would have welcomed it. But by conducting protests, they are showing their real intent of getting a lime light at the cost of MANUU.”
Conceding with other MANUU associations, Wassey said BJP is playing with fire, “Imagine BJP flag at Urdu University. Had gates were not closed during their dharna, there would have been violent clashes. It is a conspiracy against us.”
When asked if the matter was taken to the new Chancellor Zafar Sareshwala, who is known for his proximity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the PRO said that the matter will not be taken to the Chancellor but will be handled by the executive in the campus. “Chancellor Zafar has nothing to do with the BJP nor is he a member of that party,” he said.
The Minority Morcha’s president Haneef Ali told TCN whatever BJP is doing, is for the betterment of the Urdu University. “MANUU administrators should not forget that it was the BJP government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee that established this University through an Act of the Parliament. It is our responsibility to see proper functioning of the University which is a national asset.”
Ali denied all the allegations leveled against him by MANUU protestors and said the Minority Morcha took up the issue only after getting all the relevant information using the Right to Information (RTI). He also denied having any vested interest to create a controversy or violence inside the campus. “It is administrators of the University who are arousing passions of students inside the campus to protect their skin; BJP is just holding peaceful demonstrations.”
Stating that the Morcha is not interested in meeting the vice chancellor, he informed that the Morcha has already given representations to the Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, the Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Chancellor Sareshwala. “If the situation demands, we will drag in the PM office to bring to light massive corruption and irregularities in MANUU,” Haneef said.