Manipur University teachers, students spurn CM's talks offer to end protests

The Manipur University Teachers Association (MUTA) on Saturday rejected a proposal by Chief Minister N. Biren Singh for talks to end the months-old agitation against the removal of the Vice Chancellor.

The MUTA said they could not take part in the proposed meeting since six professors and ten students are in judicial custody.

In a midnight raid in the boys' hostel on September 20, over 80 students and six professors were arrested in connection with the agitation for the removal of Vice Chancellor A.P. Pandey for alleged financial and administrative irregularities.

Pandey had formally denied the charges.

Biren justified the raids. State police and central forces are deployed on the campus.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting here, Biren said that he was ready to send another letter to the University professors.

Meanwhile, the students feel that such a meeting cannot be held before the detained persons are released.

On the other hand, Biren said that withdrawal of the FIR against the detained could have been sorted out in the proposed meeting.

The university has an acting Vice Chancellor, and a two-member fact-finding committee, headed by retired Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court T. Nandakumar Singh, has been formed to look into the matter.

MUTA has announced that it will not extend its cooperation to the committee. Many people took out a torchlight procession on Saturday demanding immediate solution to the impasse.