New Delhi: Governor RN Ravi criticized the DMK administration, asserting that it employed state police to intimidate and prevent Vice-Chancellors of state universities from attending a previously arranged academic conference in Ooty. In a statement released via Raj Bhavan’s official account on X, he compared the circumstances to the Emergency period, alleging that Chief Minister MK Stalin resorted to ‘telephonic threats’ and ‘secret police’ to obstruct participation in the event.
The statement claimed that Vice-Chancellors who arrived in Ooty experienced disturbances at their hotel rooms during the night, facing threats from police regarding severe repercussions for their lives, along with warnings that they would not be permitted to return home if they attended the conference.
Furthermore, he asserted that one Vice-Chancellor was taken to a police station on the day of the event, while others communicated to him that the state government had cautioned them against participation. Ravi raised the question of whether Tamil Nadu had devolved into a ‘police state’ and expressed concerns regarding academic freedom, querying if Chief Minister Stalin was apprehensive about the implications of improved standards in state universities that primarily serve Dalit and economically disadvantaged students.
In remarks to the press, the Governor stated, ‘One of our Vice Chancellors is currently at the police station. Some Vice-Chancellors who arrived in Ooty encountered an unprecedented situation. The secret police, specifically the Special Branch of the State, warned them: ‘If you participate, you will not be able to return home to see your family.’ He also condemned the educational system in Tamil Nadu, noting that numerous students in government schools struggle to read textbooks meant for Class 2 or to recognize two-digit numbers ranging from 11 to 99.
He attributed the ongoing decline in university standards to state interference, emphasizing that this adversely impacts students from impoverished and Dalit backgrounds the most. ‘State universities have conferred over 6,000 PhDs, yet less than 1% have qualified for NET-JRF,’ he remarked. In response, Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Govi Chezhian accused the Governor of politicizing education.
The Governor is engaging in calculated political maneuvers,” he stated. “If he wishes to pursue politics, he ought to seek the position of the BJP’s state president.” The Minister further remarked that Vice-Chancellors may have been aware that participating in the conference could contravene legal statutes.
“Intimidation is inherent in the BJP’s nature. Advocating for the rights of the state is intrinsic to our identity,” Chezhian asserted. “How can a Governor level such unfounded accusations against his own administration? The Vice-Chancellors have refrained from attending this unlawful conference convened by you because they recognize that your aim is to infiltrate our universities with a specific ideology and politicize them,” DMK Rajya Sabha MP P Wilson expressed in a post on X.
