Teachers oppose suspension of MDU dons for ‘poll effort’

Tribune News Service

Sunit Dhawan

Rohtak, May 24

The Haryana Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (HFUCTO) has opposed the suspension, issuance of show-cause notices and registration of an FIR against certain faculty members of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak.

The said actions were taken on the basis of a complaint made by a local lawyer to the state’s Chief Electoral Officer, Rohtak Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, MDU Vice-Chancellor and Registrar.

The complainant, Advocate Jitender Attri, had alleged that the said faculty members were violating the model code of conduct imposed by the Election Commission (EC) by campaigning for Congress candidate from Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency.

Following the complaint, an FIR under Section 129 of the Representation of People Act, 1950, was registered against five faculty members of MDU, while show-cause notices were issued to five others. The teachers booked in the case have also been suspended by the university authorities.

HFUCTO has cried foul over the move, maintaining that supporting any party or candidate was a democratic right of the teachers and the action taken against them was wrong. HFUCTO maintained that the teachers have performed their duties and not disobeyed any rule of the EC.

“HFUCTO and MDU Teachers Association strongly condemn the unilateral action taken by the MDU administration and the district administration in this regard,” said a member of the teachers’ association. It was asserted that the university teachers can also contest elections as per the Constitution of the country.

The teachers’ associations pointed out that several university teachers had contested elections for the state Legislative Assembly, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, citing specific instances in support of their claim.

“We have convened a meeting of the teachers’ associations of all state universities and colleges on May 28 to decide our future course of action,” said HFUCTO president Dr Vikas Siwach, who is one of the teachers who has been issued a show-cause notice.

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