Kidnapping of student union leaders condemned

Mangalagiri: Founder national president of Girijana Praja Samakhya (GPS) and Girijana Vidyarthi Samakhya (GVS) Vaditya Sankar Naik has strongly condemned the alleged attack and kidnapping of student union leaders at Mohan Babu University in Tirupati district and demanded immediate action against those responsible.

Sankar Naik said he met the chairman of the AP State Council of Higher Education (APSCHE) at his office here on Tuesday and submitted a detailed representation on what he described as an inhuman incident. He said that APSCHE had earlier confirmed that the university management illegally collected about Rs 26 crore as excess fees from students and ordered the amount to be refunded. APSCHE had also imposed a penalty of Rs 16 lakh for withholding students’ certificates. However, he alleged that the management continued its unlawful practices despite these directions. He said student organisations AISF, SFI and NSUI had called for a peaceful protest at the Tirupati Collectorate demanding action against these irregularities. During the protest, around 40 bouncers and alleged associates of the university, arriving in several cars, reportedly attacked SFI District Secretary Akbar and district leader Vinod, pushed down their two-wheeler, assaulted them and forcibly abducted them in a car.

Calling the incident extremely heinous, Sankar Naik warned that attacks and kidnappings of those questioning violations in defence of students’ rights pose a serious threat to the education system. He held the university management fully responsible for any harm tothe student leaders.