27-year-old Kirubamohan, the former secretary of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle in Madras University, has alleged that he has been declared ineligible for a Master's programme in the institution. The Journalism graduate states that he was removed from the Department of Philosophy, due to pressure from the Tamil Nadu Governor/Chancellor Banwarilal Purohit and from Vice-Chancellor P Duraisamy.
Kirubamohan had joined the Madras University for a degree in Buddhism on July 31. He had earlier graduated from the University's Department of Journalism and Communication in 2018 and had initiated the formation of the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle in the institution. As secretary he had organised protests against the ban on beef and against invitations given to Tarun Vijay (former Rajya Sabha member) and BJP leader L Ganesan to address students in the college.
"When I joined the course, the Buddhism HoD Venkatachalpathy told me that I don't need a Transfer certificate because I graduated from the same college," says Kirubamohan. "But on August 29, without any prior intimation, they gave a letter cancelling my admission blaming it on the missing transfer certificate," he adds.
Kirubamohan stated that this decision by the administration, two months after he was admitted, was made because of his involvement in agitations in the college. He alleges that the HoD was under pressure to remove him despite his acceptable grades and attendance records.
"There are two more students in my class who didn't submit their eligibility certificates but they have not been questioned," he alleges.
Vice-Chancellor P. Duraisamy however claimed that rules had been flouted.
“He (Kirubamohan) had completely violated the admission guidelines. Last year and the year before, he created a lot of protests. The candidate had graduated from Anna University in engineering and then done a PG in journalism. He has not met the conditions of the admission guidelines,” he told The Hindu. He also stated that a letter from the head of journalism department regarding his conduct was factored in and denied that the Governor had a role to play in the rejection process.
"I wanted to do research in the subject of Buddhism and propagate progressive notions in society. That is why I took it up," says Kirubamohan. "My father is a daily wage worker and my mother a housemaker. Our livelihood was going to depend on me and now I've been removed from college."