In yet another casualty of the ongoing anti-liquor protests engulfing Tamil Nadu, Madras University’s Head of the Political Science Department Ramu Manivannan has stepped down following his refusal to take action against students who participated in the anti-liquor protests in Chennai recently.
The Hindu reports that he was “punished” for refusing to divulge information about students who participated in the protest. He has been replaced by Koteshwara Prasad.
“I was punished for not divulging information on students. No explanation was sought from me. I was asked by the registrar to hand over the charge to Prasad,” Manivannan told The Hindu.
Further, he told The New Indian Express that, “Students and their parents were being intimidated for protesting, which is their democratic right. I refused to take action against these students.”
Manivannan also charged that the action against him was being taken because he has been vocal about the alleged corruption in the University. Manivannan told TNIE that he feels he has been targeted by the vice-chancellor Thandavam. “Recently I raised the issue of water crisis on campus. The refusal to execute their orders on protesting students was the final straw,” he told TNIE.
Senior officials of the Madras University could not be reached for a comment.
The recent anti-liquor protests in Tamil Nadu have reached massive proportions with the involvement of several political parties and the protests turning into violent agitations. The Tamil Nadu police has been cracking down with an iron fist on protesters over the past few weeks.