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AP Govt overrides own order for Mahanadu
Sparking off a controversy after conducting liquor shops allotment auction at Dr CR Reddy Convocation Hall last month, the ruling Telugu Desam is facing the ire from Opposition parties, academicians and students for overriding HRD order banning religious and political meetings and going ahead with the Mahanadu meeting at Andhra University Engineering College Grounds by obtaining a fresh order from
A 2015 GO bans political, religious meetings at Andhra varsities
Visakhapatnam: Sparking off a controversy after conducting liquor shops allotment auction at Dr CR Reddy Convocation Hall last month, the ruling Telugu Desam is facing the ire from Opposition parties, academicians and students for overriding HRD order banning religious and political meetings and going ahead with the Mahanadu meeting at Andhra University Engineering College Grounds by obtaining a fresh order from the Department of Higher Education, on Thursday night.
Bhoomi Puja was conducted at the venue on Friday which was performed by Home Minister N Chinarajappa, party president and Minister Kala Venkata Rao and local MLAs.
Then Secretary in the Department of Higher Education TV Sri Krishna Murthy issued an internal circular on September 14, 2015 asking all the Registrars of universities in the state to ban political and religious meetings with immediate effect.
Subsequently, many meetings were cancelled including one by China Jeer Swamy for which an advance money was also paid to the AU authorities and a public meeting ‘Yuva Bheri’ called by YSRCP Students Union on special category status for the state.
However, a new order was issued hurriedly on Friday in which the Secretary of Higher Education Dr S Varadarajan said the Vice Chancellor has the authority to exercise the powers of the executive council in exigencies under Section 13 (8) of AP University Act and asked the Registrar to place the matter before the Vice Chancellor for taking a decision on allowing the political party to use the ground of the university, following the request made by Visakhapatnam South MLA Vasupalle Ganesh Kumar.
YSRCP district president Gudivada Amarnath questioned how the state government could violate its own order and get a new one for the political interests of the Telugu Desam Party. “Andhra University officials should come out with a transparent policy with regards to according permission to the political party meetings,” Amarnath said.
Desam leaders admitted that it was Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu who insisted on holding Mahanadu in the AU Engineering College after his ‘Vastunna Mee Kosam’ was a huge success and proved to be lucky in the elections held subsequently.
TD state president and Energy Minister K Kala Venkata Rao said they handpicked the venue after considering the connectivity and amenities available in the vicinity of the University.
Andhra University Vice Chancellor Prof N Nageswara Rao, talking to the reporters after releasing the key of the Andhra Pradesh Postgraduate Engineering Common Entrance Test on Wednesday, said no TD leader had approached him for allotment of the engineering college ground.
But on Friday, he said the TDP leaders sought permission from the Department of Higher Education. When questioned by the reporters, Home Minister Chinarajappa said after Bhoomi Puja that they got permission and there was no need to make it public or show to the media.
