‘Don’t participate in anti-govt activities’: VC revokes ANU students’ suspension
By Amritha Mohan Published on 3 Feb 2020 1:25 PM GMT
Save Amaravati protest: Nagarjuna University VC revokes suspension of 4 students
Nagarjuna University lifts suspension after students resolve to stay away from anti-govt activities
Hyderabad: The Vice-Chancellor of Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) in Guntur has revoked the suspension of the four students who had earlier been suspended for participating in a ‘Save Amaravati’ protest.
Two days after suspending the students, the in-charge Vice-Chancellor Prof. P. Raja Sekhar revoked the suspension on February 3. The revocation order says, “As the students have expressed their willingness to submit Undertaking to the Disciplinary Committee and have resolved not to participate in anti-government activities, the Vice-Chancellor is pleased to revoke the suspension of the students from the University hostels.”
While two students, Aswirvadam and Naveen, belong to the department of journalism and mass communication, the other two students, Raju and Edukondalu, are from the department of English.
The four had been suspended from the university hostel for allegedly participating in a ‘Save Amaravati’ protest in Nagarjunanagar, which the university termed as “anti-government activities of A.P. J.A.C for Amaravati” on February 1. The suspension order further said “the issue is referred to the University Disciplinary Committee to seek an explanation from the students and decide the period of punishment.”
Protests have become a common-place in Amaravati ever since the Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government put forth the three-capital formula in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Protests by farmers, students and women have erupted in the state, who allege that the three-capital-system will reduce the stature of Amaravati. The agitation has gained momentum particularly after the government said it would make Visakhapatnam the executive capital.
Questioning the suspension of the students, Galla Jayadev, the Telugu Desam Party MP from Guntur, had tweeted, “ANU suspending 4 students for participating in Pro-Amaravati programme, & calling them Anti-Govt is highly condemnable. 2 of them are pursuing journalism. First, don't they have the right to peaceful protest? Second, isn't the role of a journalist to question the wrong decisions of Govt? (sic)"
