Assault on RCU VC: Saffronisation of campus led to attack, says Satish Jarkiholi

BELAGAVI: The recent attack on Rani Channamma University (RCU) Vice-Chancellor Shivanand Hosmani is turning into a political fight on campus between Congress and BJP leaders in Belagavi. 
The leader in the eye of the storm, former minister Satish Jarkiholi (Congress), on Wednesday said that saffronisation of the campus by BJP members had led to the attack.

Parliament member Suresh Angadi hit back at Jarkiholi questioning if saffronisation could not be done in India, can it be done in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the V-C is yet to lodge a complaint with the police.  Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Jarkiholi said that the activists who barged into the university, were actually protesting against the saffronisation of  RCU campus and wanted to question university authorities on the way syndicate member from BJP Raju Chikkangoudar was virtually controlling the affairs of the university. 

While trying to downplay the incident, Jarkiholi said, "A large number of people had entered the university premises. Some in the group may be our people who had gone to discuss about several problems concerning RCU's administration. The attack was unfortunate as things could have been resolved through talks and not in that manner."

Jarkiholi lashed out at Angadi and asked the MP why he did not question when BJP members who had beat up Chief Engineer of Minor Irrigation Department in Belagavi a few years ago.  “The MP did not question them even when a Block Education Officer was beaten up in the past.

Even Angadi himself was beaten up by a minister. The MP, who did not even stage a protest during those attacks, is now blaming the police for the attack on the V-C,’’ Jarkiholi fumed.The MP should stop politicising the RCU incident, he said, adding that Chikkangoudar was the root cause for the attack as he was directly involved in saffronisation of the campus.