Manipur University impasse | Pro VC Yugindro tenders apology for slur on Governor

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IMPHAL, October 10, 2018

STORY HIGHLIGHTS:

  • The Manipur University's acting Vice Chancellor's remarked that state Governor Najma Heptulla extended "overt support" to agitators during a recent stir at the varsity.
  • In his letter to the MHRD, Yugindro had sought immediate steps from the Centre to "save" the university from the hands of "terrorists-like" agitators.

Pro vice-chancellor of Manipur, Prof. K. Yugindro has tendered "unconditional" apology to Governor Dr. Najma Heptulla while clarifying that the statement made against her was due to "mental stress".

The Manipur University's acting Vice Chancellor's remarks that state Governor Najma Heptulla extended "overt support" to agitators during a recent stir at the varsity has not gone down well with Raj Bhavan authorities who termed the comments as "unfortunate".

In a communication to Prof K Yugindro Saturday, the Raj Bhavan said his statement made on October 3 in a letter to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, may amount to defamation as well as non-observance of protocol and propriety.

In a letter addressing the secretary to the Governor on Monday, Prof. K. Yugindro explained that after being appointed as the pro vice-chancellor (VC) on September 10 the HRD Ministry in a letter (dated September 16) conveyed that the pro V-C would hold the charge as per the statute 2(6) of the Manipur University Act, 2005. Subsequently, he visited Manipur University on September 20 to see the ground situation, he said.

However, during the visit, Yugindro reportedly faced an intense and serious situation at the varsity which caused severe mental stress.

Prof. Yugindro further claimed that even as he had not fully recovered from that stress, problems of law and order situation in the campus of Manipur University in the night between September 20 to 21, arose causing further tension and called on the Governor on September 21.

He said, "The questions asked by the Honourable Governor to me during the meeting were not fully understood by me in the right context because of my mental stress and I had inadvertently made incorrect and inappropriate understanding of the questions of the Honourable Governor".

The pro V-C claimed that he had sent a letter on Monday to the office of the President of India, the office of Prime Minister, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of HRD, withdrawing the sentence in second para of his letter on the conversation with the Governor and statement made against the Governor.

"I, hereby humbly and respectfully tender my unconditional apology to the Honourable Governor of Manipur for the incorrect and inappropriate statements made by me including breach of protocol and propriety related to the Honourable Governor", he said.

TNT News with inputs from Imphal Free Press