The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Row over religious campaign at GMC

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Row over religious campaign at GMC

Staff Reporter

Medicos accuse former assistant professor of heading it

Principal issues circular to staff not to allow such religious campaigns on the campus
Tension prevails as VHP leader argues with preachers and the latter manhandle him

HYDERABAD: Controversy is brewing over an alleged campaign by a group of persons persuading people to follow a particular religion on Gandhi Medical College campus at Musheerabad.

Three incidents in quick succession on the college campus on Saturday triggered protests by the medicos accusing some persons of undertaking illegal and malicious religious campaign.

In the first incident, David Raju, a former assistant professor of the GMC presently working in a private college, was mobbed by the medicos when he came to the college accusing him of heading a religion conversion campaign.

Apologises

After heated arguments, allegations and counter-accusations, Mr. Raju admitted to have sent religion-related books to some students, GMC Pradeep Deshpande said. “He apologised and regretted the unfortunate happening and gave it in writing,” Mr. Deshpande said.

The principal said that students of the college approached him on Friday with a memorandum in which they alleged that unscrupulous elements were persuading the students and patients and their attendants coming to the Gandhi Hospital located on the same premises to follow a particular religion.

Reacting to the complaint, the principal issued a circular to the staff not to allow any type of religious campaign inside the college and constituted an inquiry committee to probe into such allegations.

Meanwhile, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Secunderabad, general secretary, Muralidhar went to the college alleging that a group of persons arrived there making anti-Hindu campaign.

“Media persons also reached there on being tipped off about the illegal activity. Though I tried to halt a Tata Sumo in which the religion preachers were sitting, the police allowed them to escape,” he charged.

Earlier, mild tension prevailed when Mr. Muralidhar picked up an argument with the preachers and the latter manhandled him.

The Chilakalguda police rushed there on learning about the clash.

In the third incident, some medicos broke open the room of a post-graduate student and found scores of books pertaining to religion conversion and preaching.

A PG student, Uday Kumar, was not available to the police and the hospital authorities to ascertain why he stored the books in the room.

“All the three incidents came to our notice, but none has lodged a specific complaint till late in the night. We’re waiting for formal complaint to register a case,” ACP of Gopalapuram Y.V. Ramana said.

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