Mysuru: Several Dalit and progressive organisations held a protest in front of the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) administrative block at Mukthagangotri in Mysuru on Wednesday, accusing the varsity administration of saffronisation of the university.They alleged that VC Sharanappa V Halse allowed the conclave to commemorate 60 years of Deendayal Upadhyaya’s lectures on ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan’ for his personal gains and urged the state govt to take stern action against him.Activists, writers and artists who gathered in front of the university shouted slogans against the VC for allowing the ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan: Bharat’s Worldview’ event, which, they claimed, was anti-democratic and anti-people. They urged the governor to sack the VC pending inquiry over various allegations against him. The agitators urged the state govt to register FIR against the VC for violating its order.BJP MLC AH Vishwanath, who met the agitators, assured them that he will raise the issue with the governor.Later, they submitted a memorandum to the governor through university registrar SK Naveen Kumar. In the memorandum, the agitators alleged that the VC is following communal policies and his decisions are affecting the functioning of the varsity.AHINDA leader Javarappa alleged that even though the KSOU is now facing acute shortage of students, there is no end to the new recruitments. “The university has become a den of corruption. There is no fear of law to those who are committing corruption,” he charged.“Several previous judicial committee investigative reports are lying idle. As a result, corrupt are carrying out misdeeds without the fear of law. There is an urgent need for action against the VC for his various controversial decisions,” he said.
