Centre trying to take control of universities to turn them into RSS camps: P. Chidambaram

P. Chidambaram criticizes Centre for attempting to control universities, convert them into RSS camps, and undermine State Governments.

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday said the Centre was trying to take control of all universities in the country by nullifying the role of State Governments in selection of their Vice-Chancellors with the aim to convert universities and colleges into RSS camps.

Addressing a public meeting organised by the party on the occasion of 76th Republic Day, Mr. Chidambaram said the State Governments had established the universities, appointed the teaching faculties and financing them. “But the Centre through the University Grants Commission was trying to amend the rules on appointment of Vice-Chancellors through representatives of UGC, Senate and Governor. The State Government will have no role in it at all.”

If the universities went under the control of the Centre, only those who believed in the RSS philosophy would be appointed as VCs. “The syllabus would be changed. They would disrupt the present set-up of secular way of running the universities. All universities and colleges would be converted into RSS camps,” he said.

While ‘Republic’ meant that the regime would follow the voices of the citizens, the Centre was now acting against the wishes of the people.

While people were asking for waiver of farm loans, education loans and SHGs loans, the Centre was not ready to do it. It was not that the banks in the country could not waive off those loans. But the Centre was able to waive off huge loans for corporates such as Ambanis and Adanis to the tune of ₹10.88 lakh crore and ₹14.11 lakh crore in the last two years. “Is this the Republic envisioned by leaders such as Gandhi, Nehru and Ambedkar?” he asked.

The Centre was working against the minorities and Dalits. It had reduced the State of Jammu and Kashmir into three Union Territories without the consent of the State. “It could happen to any State like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or West Bengal,” he warned.

The attempt to introduce ‘one nation, one election’ was aimed at wiping out regional parties. “If all State elections were to be conducted along Parliamentary polls, the problems and issues at the State-level would be pushed to the back burner. Consequently, the BJP believed that, the party could win election after election and Narendra Modi could continues as Prime Minister,” he said.