Expulsion of 6 Wardha Uni Students Over Letters to PM Revoked

Six students were expelled from Wardha University following protests against the administration. 

(Photo: The Quint)

Expulsion of the six students of Mahatma Gandhi Antarashtriya Hindi Viswavidyalaya (MGAHV) in Wardha, Maharashtra, following protests staged by them against the varsity’s administration, has been revoked on Sunday, 13 October.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

The Quint reached out to one of the formerly expelled students, who confirmed the news of their expulsion’s revocation.

Expulsion Over Event to Write Letters to PM

Students of the university had organised a mass event on Wednesday, 9 October, to write letters to PM Modi. In a release issued by student leader Chandan Saroj on Wednesday, he stated the event was being organised to protest the sedition charge slapped against 49 eminent personalities for writing an open letter to PM Modi on the growing incidence of mob lynchings.

The protests were staged by the students after the administration purportedly tried to thwart them from organising the event. Subsequently, the university allegedly expelled the six students, including Saroj.

According to a letter issued by MGAHV’s administration, dated 9 October, the students had been expelled on the grounds of ‘violation of model code of conduct’ and ‘interference to administrative process’.

The Quint had also reached out to some of the students. Here’s what they had to say.

District Collector Calls for Expulsion to Be Revoked

Earlier, Wardha District Collector Vivek Bhimanwar had directed the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya (MGAHV) to revoke the expulsion letters that it had issued to six students who had held a dharna and written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The collector said the university has no authority to invoke the model code of conduct which it had used a reason to expel these children. Clarifying further, Bhimanwar said that the university is free to act against the students under its own rules, but it cannot cite the MCC, reported The Indian Express.

“The university isn’t authorised to invoke the MCC. Only the District Collector is. From our side there is no restriction on any activity on the campus.”

Baldev Singh, Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer as quoted by <i><a href="http://https://indianexpress.com/article/india/wardha-university-students-expelled-citing-poll-code-letter-to-pm-modi-on-lynchings-6066461/">The Sunday Express</a></i>