Beleagured AUSU prez alleges politically motivated conspiracy

AUSU president Richa Singh today charged that an inquiry ordered recently into the validity of her admission as a research scholar was a "politically motivated" exercise initiated by her adversaries owing allegiance to ABVP and receiving "tacit support" from varsity authorities miffed over her vocal stance on several issues.
"An inquiry has been ordered following an allegation by Rajneesh Tripathi, who fought for the president's post against me. Although he had not fought as an official candidate of the ABVP, his ideological leanings towards the RSS are well-known, Singh told PTI.
"He has alleged that my admission in the year 2013 was made against a vacancy for candidates belonging to the reserved category.

"Although the university has not taken a decision, content of the report have been leaked and it appears that this is a politically motivated exercise which my right-wing opponents may have initiated but which is sadly receiving tacit support from varsity authorities too", the Allahabad University Students' Union president alleged.
"I have been done my home work and I can assert that there was no illegality in my admission. Moreover, even if there was some discrepancy, it could not have been blamed on the candidate herself," she claimed.
"However, it appears that the Dean of Arts Faculty, who was entrusted with the inquiry, has refused to take a considerate view and submitted a report aimed at ensuring that my academic career as well as my credibility as Union president were in jeopardy", she alleged.

Singh is the first woman to be elected to the post in the prestigious university post-independence.

"The university has been upset with me ever since I began questioning many of its decisions, including the appointment of a tainted research scholar as the Vice Chancellor's Officer on Special Duty.
"The authorities attitude towards me is reflected in the VC's refusal to meet me whenever I have sought appointment over any important issue even though other office bearers of the union, incidentally all of them from the ABVP, find no difficulty in getting a hearing with whichever official they choose to speak", Singh alleged.

Things became more unbearable when I invited people like Prashant Bhushan and Siddharth Vardarajan to a Union function while resolutely opposing the proposed visit of Yogi Adityanath, eventually leading to the cancellation of the Gorakhpur MP's speech a few months ago, Singh said.
"However, I am confident of my victory in this fight. If the University comes out with an unfavourable decision I will move court. Moreover, today I met Janata Dal (U) leader K C Tyagi and requested him to take up in Parliament this issue.
"They certainly do not seem to have learnt any lessons from Hyderabad and JNU", Singh said.

Meanwhile, University officials remained tight-lipped over the issue. However, sources said that since the report has been submitted two days ago by Dean of Arts A Satyanarayana, a decision is likely to be taken by Tuesday.
Vice-Chancellor, R L Hangloo, is currently out of station and likely to return tomorrow which is be going to be a holiday on account of Shivaratri.