Condemning the alleged lack of transparency in appointment of VC for Madras University, Stalin asked the AIADMK government to ensure that only a prominent academician from Tamil Nadu, who had applied for the post, was appointed VC of a university which is intertwined with the emotions and pride of the people in the state.

He also cautioned the ruling AIADMK not to allow saffronisation of arts and science education in the state by being silent on Madras University VC appointment, like it did in the case of Anna University and Dr Ambedkar Law University.

Stalin also sought to know from the ruling AIADMK and Governor Banwarilal Purohit, who is also the chancellor of universities, why only 12 select applicants were invited for interview and how many among them had hailed from OBC and SC/ST communities.

Describing the appointment of a controversial VC from JNU with engineering background for identifying VC for arts and science colleges as the first flaw, the LoP said the opaqueness of the selection process was exposed by the panel summoning a meager 12 of the 177 applicants.

Remarking that academicians in the state were insulted and disrespected even in the constitution of the search panel (for identifying the VC) by appointing the VC of Jawaharlal Nehru University with engineering background as the panel head, the DMK president said the media reports suggested that 30 of the 177 applicants were from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra and a dozen such select applicants were interviewed online.

That the search panel head has interviewed select candidates via video call even during the pandemic has revealed that the entire VC selection was fraught with mysteries, he said, adding that it was worrisome that the AIADMK and chancellor have worked in tandem to deliberately give transparency a go by in every stage of the VC identification process.