Bantwal: Unrest in Vittal govt college - Principal sent on leave for a week
Mounesh Vishwakarma
Daijiworld Media Network - Bantwal
Updated
Bantwal, Jul 24: In the wake of clashes among the students of Vittal Government First Grade College that left four persons injured on Tuesday July 23, the college education department has ordered the principal to take unpaid leave for a week.
The clashes erupted after a girl student complained that a boy, identified as Kiran, had been teasing her over a love affair with a youth from outside the college. Following the clashes, the ABVP had demanded the suspension or transfer of the college principal.
While the principal is away, lecturer of the college Xavier D'Souza will be the caretaker principal.
On Wednesday July 24 morning, the students and ABVP members once again gathered in the campus and demanded the principal's suspension, stating that his maladministration had triggered a number of untoward incidents. However, till 11 am, no official arrived to listen to them, which only made them angrier.
In the afternoon, deputy director of college education department Y S Ganati visited the college and held talks with principal Udayashankar, and directed him to go on leave for a week.
Meanwhile, college education department joint director Dr Devanand Gaonkar met the students and took them to a room, where he asked them to speak out their problems. He asked them reasons for their protest, whether classes were being held smoothly in the college, what they thought of the principal, and a number of other questions and asked them to write theirs answers on sheets of paper. This apart, he also spoke to all the lecturers and office staff and sought their opinion.
After taking everyone's views into consideration, Dr Gaonkar held a meeting in the principal's office in the presence of Bantwal taluk circle inspector Anil S Kulkarni, Vittal police inspector Madhava Kudlu, college teachers' union president Narayana Kulal, treasurer D M Abdul Rahiman, and former member of college administrative committee Ramanath Vittal. During the meeting Dr Gaonkar instructed the principal to take leave for a week's time.
With this development, the unrest in the college is expected to simmer down at least temporarily.
Earlier Report
Bantwal: Teasing - 4 injured in students' clash, ABVP demands principal's transfer
Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal
Bantwal, Jul 24: Fight arose between students of Vittal Government First Grade College here on Tuesday July 23, leaving four persons injured. The college which has been in the news for protests and communal flare-ups witnessed clashes once again, this time over teasing a girl.
A girl student complained to the principal that a student by name Kiran had been teasing her. For this reason, another group assaulted Kiran in the campus leaving him critically injured. The issue snowballed into a fight between two student groups.
A youth outside the college was in love with the girl student and Kiran had allegedly teased her over this, which ultimately led to the fight, stated the girl in her complaint in Vittal police station.
Kiran, Harihara, Deepak and Siddique who were injured in the fight were admitted to hospital. Both the student groups have filed complaints in Vittal police station. It is learnt that police have booked cases against 42 students from both the groups.
Protest against the assault
The fight between the two student groups was followed by a protest led by ABVP condemning the assault on Kiran and demanding suspension of the principal.
The students then took a procession from college campus where they shouted slogans against the principal. The procession passed from main roads in Vittal and later a meeting was held at a private bus stand.
ABVP state secretary Ramesh K addressing the gathering demanded an end to the principal’s 'maladministration'. "Until he is suspended or transferred, we will continue our protest," he said.
ABVP leaders Vinay Alangar, Ravi Manila, Raj Kadumata, Nagesh Iyyadi, Naveen Kanyana, Shivacharan were part of the protest.
"The college principal has political motives and for this reasons, he has been creating communal fights in the campus and is not allowing students from different religions to be together. Because of this, students are getting affected," said ABVP state secretary Ramesh K.
He addressed a press meet called by him in Vittal on Tuesday. Demanding suspension of the principal, he also asked to reconsider the decision to suspend 7 students from the college. There are several people supporting the principal as he suspended students for bursting crackers.
"We have been appealing to ministers, MLA and other officials to take action against the principal, but in vain," he added.