Aaditya Thackeray inaugurated Mumbai University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the Kalyan sub-centre. (File)THE STUDENT wing of the Congress, National Students Union of India (NSUI), staged a protest at Mumbai University’s Kalina campus on Tuesday, condemning the decision of Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray inaugurating the university’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the Kalyan sub-centre.
Even as Vice-Chancellor Dr Suhas Pednekar was not present on the campus, students protested outside his office at Ambedkar Bhavan, forcing security to barricade the entrance to the building. The protest, which started around 2 pm, saw close to 50 students.
Students also protested the move by police to reserve the university’s guesthouses for “rebel” Congress MLAs from Karnataka. “There are state guesthouses too. Why use the facility of an academic institution for political activities?” asked Ajay Mishra, city vice-president, NSUI.
The students also questioned the varsity’s move to appoint Ajay Deshmukh as the registrar despite allegations of corruption against him.
Nikhil Kamble, national secretary, NSUI, said, “Mumbai University is an autonomous body and should work accordingly. Dr Suhas Pednekar has been acting as an agent of the Shiv Sena and the government.”
Kamble added, “Is Aaditya Thackeray a councillor, an MLA, a corporator or a minister? The Congress government had proposed and granted permission to start Kalyan campus, so why did MU not invite the former CM for the inauguration?”
The NSUI delegation led by Kamble, Mishra, Arif Sayed, Shams Khan, and Vijay Sharma met Dr Vinod Patil, director of Board of Examinations and Evaluations.
A statement by the NSUI said, “Patil assured the NSUI that the university will try and avoid political activities. University will not invite any political leader at a future academic programme. University will initiate a departmental inquiry against the official who granted permission to police to keep detained Congress party leaders. And the university will give a written report to the NSUI against the allegations on MU registrar Dr Ajay Deshmukh.”
An MU official told The Indian Express, “The guesthouses belong to the central government’s Indian Council of Social Science Research, and police do not seek the university’s permission for using them. While the original choice of guest for the inauguration was Minister Vinod Tawde, Aaditya Thackeray was invited in cognisance of his effort towards getting the varsity’s sub-centres activated.”
