Vijaykumar Dharurkar Vijaykumar Dharurkar

Tripura University Vice-Chancellor Vijaykumar Laxmikantrao Dharurkar hoisted a flag of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — the student organisation affiliated to the RSS — during an event on the campus on July 10. Defending his act, he said the ABVP was a “social and cultural organisation” and “not related to any party”.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Dharurkar, who was appointed V-C in July 2018, said the event was organised by the ABVP to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago speech. “I went to the event as I was invited. And why wouldn’t I? The organisation you referred to (ABVP) is not an anti-national or terrorist organisation. It is a social and cultural organisation, which came into existence much before even the Jan Sangh. It is not related to any party,” he said.

Responding to a specific question on the hoisting of the ABVP flag, Dharurkar said, “There were speeches and tree plantations as well. The event was related to Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago speech.”

Dharurkar (65) said that over the years he has been associated with “hundreds of organisations” across India and he sees nothing wrong in attending an ABVP event on the campus in his capacity as V-C.

Asked if would hoist the flag of any other student body, such as the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Dharurkar said, “I am a scholar of China and Russia. I am well-versed with the thoughts of Karl Marx and Mao-Tse tung. I have an open mind and support all student bodies.”

Tripura University is a central university.

Before his appointment as the Tripura University V-C, Dharurkar was head of the department, University Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Marathwada University, Aurangabad.

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