Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)
Bengaluru, Nov 10: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar said that Prof Ashok Kumar committed suicide because of corruption in the appointment to the post of the vice chancellor. He urged for holding a judicial probe into the matter. He was speaking at a press conference organized at the KPCC office here on Monday, November 9.
"The posts of the vice chancellor have been put for sale in our state. Lot of corruption is taking place in this respect as per widespread discussions taking place everywhere. As per our information, names of four persons were under consideration for the post of the vice chancellor. Competition and negotiations were going on. The said professor had borrowed money by paying interest and paid the money, but he was not appointed. As he was devastated at losing the money and not getting the desired post, he ended his life as per the story making the rounds," he explained.
Shivakumar said that high ranking people are involved in this case. "Need for investigation about officers, ministers, or middlemen who received the money is felt. Prof Ashok Kumar had produced thousands of journalists for the state, and his suicide is shocking. Even though he has claimed in the suicide note that he himself was repsonsible, I have information that people in the government were involved," he stated.
Right from the staff working in universities to the students, discussions about the post of the vice chancellor being on sale is being discussed. As the name of the chief minister is being sullied in the case, we demand the same to be investigated through judicial inquiry headed by a sitting high court judge," he stated.
Party's working presidents, Ishwar Khadre and Saleem Ahmed, head of media department, Dr B L Shankar, vice president, V R Sudarshan, former minister, Priyank Kharge and former MP, V S Ugrappa, were present.
Shivakumar also demanded for rolling back the hike in power tariff announced recently. He said that the people are reeling under various problems and there was a case for reduction of rates. He warned that unless the hike is withdrawn, his party will take to streets to fight against it.