The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) has its eyes fixed on University of Hyderabad, a central varsity that has 3,500 students. In four letters of enquiry sent over three months beginning September, the Ministry has sought responses from UoH administration on “anti-national activities” on its campus.

Also under MHRD questioning which levels serious allegations that relates to nationalism, is a curious question about an internal squabble among two student groups, which had allegedly led to an “attack on Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), president, N. Susheel Kumar”.

Interestingly, the MHRD queries got its trigger from a strongly worded letter written by Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya to Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani alleging that the campus has become a “den of casteist, extremist and anti-national politics”. The letter points to a funeral prayer allegedly offered by a student outfit of UoH Ambedkar Students Association (ASA) on the day Yakub Memon was hanged.

Varsity denies charges

University of Hyderabad’s administration denied the charges. “There were no anti-national activities on this campus and I can vouch for all my students and faculty. They have not and will not indulge in antinational activities,” said P. Appa Rao, Vice-Chancellor of the University.

Moreover, faculty members of University of Hyderabad Teachers Association vouched for protests on campus. “Universities are democratic spaces where different modes of protests should take place,” said K. Laxminarayana of University of Hyderabad Teachers’ Association.

Students who organised the protest against capital punishment and also disruption of Muzzafarnagar screening by ABVP in Delhi University said: “We are people who believe in the Constitution. Why will we go anti-national?” said S. Munna, a student leader.

The ASA students, with the help of faculty , embers have now filed a writ petition in Hyderabad High Court against charges levelled against them.

MHRD writes to University of Hyderabad seeking its response on such activities