BHU questions teachers' attendance at RSS seminar

Varanasi, Nov 24 (UNI) The Banaras Hindu University (BHU) -- Asia's biggest university -- has sought explanation from its senior teachers for allegedly participating in an RSS seminar here on November 11.

The university administration in a notice served to the concerned teachers has termed the participation at the seminar, ''violation of Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rules 1964.'' The concerned teachers have also been advised to submit their explanation within a fortnight failing which suitable disciplinary action will be initiated againt them.

The notice served by the BHU Office of Registrar (Vigilance and Confidential Section) dated November 20 and signed by Registrar Natarajan Sunderam says ''it has come to the notice from a news item published in a Hindi daily on November 12, 2006 that the teachers had participated in a seminar organised by RSS in Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Lanka, Varanasi.'' It further reads ''your attention is drawn to Government of India Decision No. (15) and (18) below rule 5, wherein it was clarified the Government have always held the activities of RSS to be of such nature that participation in them by government servants would attract the provisions of Rule 5(1) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964 and any government servant, who is a member of or is otherwise associated with the aforesaid organisations or with their activities is liable to disciplinary action.'' ''In the context of the current situation in the country, the need to ensure secular outlook on the part of Government servants is all the more important. The need to eradicate communal feelings and communal bias cannot be over-emphasised,'' the notice says.

The notice goes on to say that Vice-Chancellor, while going through the news published in the Hindi daily on November 12, has observed the teachers had violated provisions of Rule 5 (1) of the CCS (Conduct) Rules 1964. He also expressed displeasure for not observing proper conduct rules and also lack of responsibility shown by the teachers of the varsity.

While the varsity teachers have demanded immediate withdrawal of notice to the concerned teachers, VC Panjab Singh has said he has no idea about the notice being served to the teachers.

''After reading the news in the Hindi daily, I only directed the officials to enquire about the entire episode, but have no idea about the notice being served to some teachers,'' Prof Singh told newspersons just after a meeting in the BHU Central Office today.

BHU PRO Vishwanath Pandey, however, said ''an employer has every right to question the participation of its employees in certain events, which are violative of service rules and hence the notice has been issued to some teachers. Anything more can be said only after the replies of teachers have been recieved within the stipulated fortnight time.'' MORE UNI ARS VS PA RK1600