Shillong, Nov 12: Amid increased support to the students’ protest at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), the state BJP too has made “strong recommendation” to Centre to take a call on the matter to resolve the impasse.
Cabinet minister and BJP leader AL Hek said, the Centre would soon take a call on whether to remove NEHU vice-chancellor Prof PS Shukla as demanded by the NEHU Students’ Union (NEHUSU) and Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) NEHU unit, which have been spearheading an indefinite hunger strike for the past seven days.
The government (GoI) has to go with the opinion of the people of the state on the entire issue, Hek said while informing that he had already forwarded “strong recommendation” to the Central government.
“I had taken up the NEHU issue with top leaders of the BJP in Delhi,” he said.
Asserting that only the Government of India can remove the VC of a central university such as NEHU, he said the state government was not keeping quiet on the issue.
“However, the government cannot react at the behest of somebody. It has to go through reports (on the issue),” he added.
Stating that he was totally unaware of whereabouts of the VC whose official residence and car were vandalised by miscreants, the minister said agitation should be conducted in a democratic manner and not by causing damage to property or individuals.
Meanwhile, Hek endorsed and forwarded a letter submitted by the Meghalaya Tribal Teachers’ Association (MeTTA) of NEHU to the Centre.
