A large number of volunteers of the Kangleipak Students’ Association (KSA) today gheraoed the office of the Vice Chancellor of Manipur University and locked the main gate, demanding the removal of the Vice Chancellor over alleged maladministration and irregularities.
The protestors attempted to march towards the Vice Chancellor’s office during the afternoon hours but were stopped by security personnel deployed at the premises. Following this, the students raised strong slogans accusing the Vice Chancellor of incompetence and alleging involvement in malpractices and scams. As part of the protest, the demonstrators locked the gate of the Vice Chancellor’s office and continued raising slogans demanding his removal.
The slogans included demands for the removal of the “Culprit Vice Chancellor”, condemnation of the alleged silence of the Ministry of Education, the Chief Rector and the Visitor over the alleged scam committee constituted by the Vice Chancellor, and a call for a high-level inquiry into the functioning of the Vice Chancellor of Manipur University. The protestors also demanded an end to what they described as illegal recruitment practices and called for the appointment of a transparent Vice Chancellor not linked to any alleged irregularities. The association stated that the agitation was aimed at saving Manipur University and safeguarding the future of the student community.
Speaking to reporters at the protest site, Kangleipak Students’ Association president Seram Hemjit alleged that Vice Chancellor N. Lokendro Singh had been running the affairs of Manipur University arbitrarily. He accused the Vice Chancellor of appointing non-teaching staff without obtaining approval from the Visitor and claimed that statutory norms were violated in several appointments. He further alleged that such actions had damaged the dignity and institutional credibility of the university.
Seram Hemjit stated that the KSA would continue its agitation until the Vice Chancellor is removed from office.