IAS man who quit over Kashmir, stopped from visiting Pune library

IAS officer Kannan Gopinathan, who quit the services over “denial of freedom of expression” to people of Jammu and Kashmir, has claimed he was barred from visiting the library at the Savitribai Phule Pune University here.

However, library officials at the Jaykar Knowledge Resource Centre said by asking for an application for Gopinathan’s visit on Monday, the institute was following due procedure. “Got the taste! In Pune university, students enthusiastically called me to the Jayakar library saying a lot of UPSC aspirants study there & would like to meet. That’s when the librarian realised who I am & asked to submit an application for consideration to enter the library!” he tweeted.

“But then the students told that no political activity against Government is allowed in the university/hostel by regulation! Anyway, being thrown out is not a good feeling. But counts as new experience. So all good,” Gopinathan tweeted.

To a query by a student on Twitter, Gopinathan said he left Pune the Monday afternoon itself. “Will definitely be coming back. Let’s meet then,” he added.

Gopinathan said after the heated arguments and confrontation between students and officials, the idea to visit the library was dropped and he later had an interaction with students at one of the canteens of the university. “As I was in the city to deliver talks, some students wanted to show me the university and told me the library is very good and a lot of students prepare for UPSC and other civil services exams there,” he said.