Uneasy calm continued to prevail on the third consecutive day on the campus of Dravidian University in Kuppam on Tuesday, following protests and counter-protests by the cadres of the YSR Congress Party and the employees of the varsity, against and in favour continuing Vice-Chancellor Yedla Sudhakar.
Mining activity
A group of YSRCP activists led by local leaders from Kuppam and Gudupalle staged a protest in front of the administration building of the varsity a couple of days ago, demanding the ouster of the Vice-Chancellor, alleging that the administration of the university had come to a standstill and that the management was blind to the mining activity in the surrounding hillocks. The protesters also expressed anguish at the dip in the number of admissions and lack of patronage to some academic courses. When the protesters had reportedly tried to barge in the chamber of the Vice-Chancellor, the police had controlled them. Later, the local police had registered cases against those who led the protest, which reportedly included some university staff.
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As a counter to the development, the teaching and non-teaching faculty of the university conducted demonstrations with black badges against the “entry of outside forces” into the varsity administration. The demonstrations were staged on Monday and Tuesday. They observed that it was only after the appointment of Yedla Sudhakar as the Vice-Chancellor that the university could achieve some concrete development and that the academic front being bailed out from financial difficulties.
Meanwhile, the police picket, which was posted for a couple of days, was removed on Tuesday.