Will prefer quitting to going on a two-month leave: BHU Vice-Chancellor

BHU Vice Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi said on Thursday that he will "resign" if he is asked to proceed on leave and maintained that the HRD ministry had not told him to do so.

The ministry has, meanwhile, initiated a routine process to shortlist the successor of Tripathi, who is at the centre of the controversy over the handling of the recent violence in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus. His tenure ends on November 30.

"So far, nothing of this sort has been communicated to me. I have been in touch with the HRD Minister (Prakash Javadekar) right from the day of the incident and have briefed him about the situation as well as the measures taken. But if am I asked to go on leave, I will resign," he told PTI.

The Vice-Chancellor further said that he has contributed a lot to improve the functioning of the university.

"Having done so much, it will be insulting to go on leave two months before my tenure comes to end. I will prefer quitting," he asserted.

The ministry officials said the process for appointing his successor has been initiated, but maintained that the timing of violence in the BHU campus and steps for appointment of a new VC is completely "coincidental".

Even if the unrest would not have happened, appointment process would have been initiated, a senior HRD official said on the condition of anonymity.

Last week, a number of students, including women, and two journalists were injured in a baton-charge by the police after a protest against an alleged eve-teasing incident turned violent in BHU, one of the 43 central universities in the country.

Tripathi had earlier this week said that the violence was fanned by "rumour mongering" and "outsiders".

The varsity's Chief Proctor O N Singh has already resigned, taking "moral responsibility" for the campus violence.