india

Updated: Sep 20, 2019 23:38 IST

The Himachal Pradesh University administration has issued show-cause notice to at least ten teachers for their participation in political activities.

The university authorities have issued notices to professors and assistant professors for indulging in political activities during the Lok Sabha elections.

“Notices have been served on teachers for participating in political activities,” confirmed Himachal Pradesh University registrar Ganshyam Sharma, while refusing to divulge more details.

It has been learnt that few teachers have replied to notices while some of them are yet to do so. “All teachers involved have been issued notices following complaints from different quarters,” Sharma said.

Dean of studies in Himachal Pradesh University had earlier issued notices to few teachers after Lok Sabha elections. Notices were issued to a group of teachers who had called on state Congress chief Kuldeep Singh Rathore at his office at the party headquarters — Rajiv Bhawan.

The teachers who were served notices for their visit to Congress office are members and office-bearers of Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Association ( HPUTA), who had earlier replied to the show-cause notices.

The teachers who have been again issued notices by the registrar are Mohan Jharta (sociology), SS Narta (commerce), SS Chauhan (public administration), Raghuvir Singh (law), Rajender Verma (law), Roshan Lal Zinta (psychology), Anajana Chauhan (international centre for distant education and learning), Usha Rani (ICDEOl), Vinay Singh (history) and Yashwant Singh Harta (life-long learning).

The teachers, however, denied to have participated in the political activities, but admitted that they went on to make a courtesy call.

What has raised the hackles is that the university authorities had recently issued them notices for saying that they participated in political activities.

“We have not done any crime. We were issued notices and we replied to them adequately. It has been done again to harass us. We have raised the issue with vice-chancellor and he has assured us to resolve the problem. It’s just a complaint,” said HPUTA president Roshan Lal Zinta.

Earlier in May this year, university’s supreme decision-making body — Executive Council — had suspended a professor on a complaint that he flouted the model code of conduct during Lok Sabha elections and actively campaigned for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Congress leaders had complained against Sharma to the Election Commission.

Himachal Pradesh University had in 2012 constituted a three-member committee under the then vice-chancellor ADN Vajpayee and following recommendation, the panel had imposed complete ban on teachers to participate in elections.

The HPU is also known as the breeding ground for politicians as many of its alumni have made their way to the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and the Himachal Pradesh assembly.

Prominent among them are BJP working president Jagat Prakash Nadda, Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma, former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai, Theog legislator Rakesh Singha and Naina Devi MLA Ram Lal Thakur.