Principal quits after Mevani event scrapped
Ahmedabad, Feb. 11: A local college cancelled its annual day function Monday, after its trustees got protest calls against dalit leader and Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani being made the chief guest.
Slamming the decision of the Brahamchari Vadi Trust, which runs the HK Arts College, principal Hemant Shah resigned from his post, claiming the trust “compromised on the freedom of expression” and gave in to threats by student leaders of a party.
Mr Mevani is an alumnus of the college. The trustees denied access to the auditorium, located on the campus, due to which the event had to be cancelled.
“Because of threat calls made by BJP goons, trustees of HK Arts college, Ahmedabad I graduated from cancelled the annual function where I was invited as chief guest. Was going to talk about life and mission of Babasaheb ( Ambedkar). Salute to Principal Hemant Shah who resigned on moral ground,” Mr Mevani tweeted.
Mr Mevani accused the trustees, some of them Padma awardees, of “not standing up against the hooliganism” of BJP and its student wing, the ABVP. “This is a shameful day for freedom of speech and democracy,” he added.
“Since Narendra Modi became the prime minister, many people have become spineless,” he said. This college trustees fall in that category, unfortunately, he added.
Trust secretary Amrish Shah could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.
In his resignation letter, Mr Shah said the trustees had given in to threats issued by student leaders belonging to a party. The trustees had compromised on the freedom of expression, he added.
Mr Shah said his decision to invite Mevani was not wrong as leaders from different parties have been invited to earlier events in the college. “It is clear that freedom of thought and expression given in our Constitution are being stifled in the current political scenario, and this is being patronised politically,” he said.