Stalin demands suspension of Anna Univ V-C

Stalin demands suspension of Anna Univ V-C

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:16.11.2020

DMK president M K Stalin has demanded the suspension of Anna University vice-chancellor M K Surappa, who is facing a probe into charges of corruption. In a statement on Sunday, Stalin noted that former vice chancellors of Anna University were suspended when they faced similar allegations. Stalin questioned the delay in ordering the probe against Surappa despite the government receiving complaints nine months ago. Though the complaints against Surappa came in February, why did the government keep them pending for the past nine months? The delay on the part of the government to order a probe calls for a separate inquiry, he said. Vice chancellor of Anna University, Coimbatore, R Radhakrishnan was suspended during DMK regime. When Anna University V C P Mannar Jawahar faced charges, the AIADMK government had suspended him, said Stalin. Radhakrishnan was suspended in 2009 and was eventually convicted in 2016 for receiving bribes. Mannar Jawahar had completed his tenure in 2013 when corruption charges were levelled. He was serving as a professor in Madras Institute of Technology and was suspended from the post just before his retirement. He was eventually exonerated from the charges. “Why should Surappa be an exception. Only if the VC is suspended immediately, it will enable a free and fair probe,” said Stalin, urging chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami to order his suspension, before the probe panel led by retired high court judge P Kalayarasan begins the inquiry. Stalin said even a government staff member, who is accused of receiving ₹500 as bribe, was being suspended. But Surappa continues to be in the post despite explicit complaints of multi crore bribery levelled against him as well as the deputy director of Anna University Sakthinathan, he said.

Later, RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy tweeted: “Surappa Anna University VC, a man of impeccable integrity and an equally good academic, is being persecuted by TN Govt as he refused to give degrees to students with arrears. Thousands of students with 20-35 arrears who never clear the would have got degrees”.