YSRCP demands thorough probe into ‘forced’ resignation of 17 VCs
Legislative Council witnesses heated exchange between Botsa Satyanarayana and Nara Lokesh
Lokesh dismisses claims of pressuring VCs to resign
HRD Minister says not responsible for 10 VCs resigning in three days
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council witnessed a heated exchange on Tuesday between Leader of Opposition Botsa Satyanarayana and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh over the alleged forced resignation of Vice-Chancellors from 17 universities.
Following media reports highlighting a wave of resignations by Vice-Chancellors soon after the TDP-led NDA took office, the government assured an investigation if concrete evidence was provided. However, when Botsa Satyanarayana presented letters from five Vice-Chancellors detailing their resignations and alleging coercion, Lokesh dismissed the claims.
Chaos erupted in the Council as Lokesh refuted allegations that the coalition government had pressured the VCs to step down, emphasizing that the letters only mentioned oral instructions. Citing a news article that reported the resignation of 10 Vice-Chancellors within three days, he questioned how he could be held responsible for their decisions.
Lokesh further claimed that 10 of the 17 Vice-Chancellors had resigned for personal reasons, and their resignations were duly accepted by the Governor. He added that a privilege motion had been moved and that an inquiry would be initiated if directed by the committee.
Speaking to the media outside the Assembly, Botsa reiterated the need for a thorough investigation into the matter. He accused Lokesh of evading the Opposition’s questions and stressed that if the Vice-Chancellors were found at fault, appropriate action should be taken. He warned that intimidating academicians could harm the education system.
YSRCP MLCs criticize NDA government over power tariff hike
During the Budget Session proceedings, several YSRCP MLCs raised concerns about the recent power tariff hike and women’s safety.
YSRCP MLC Sivarami Reddy criticized the NDA government for burdening citizens with increased electricity charges, alleging that ₹15,000 crore had been levied under the guise of adjustment charges. He demanded the State government to absorb the true-up charges instead of passing them on to consumers. Reddy highlighted that the previous YSRCP government had provided power subsidies amounting to ₹47,000 crore between 2019 and 2024, compared to the TDP government’s ₹13,000 crore between 2014 and 2019. He also questioned why the coalition government had failed to keep its promise of not increasing power tariffs.
Additionally, YSRCP MLC Varudu Kalyani urged the government to clarify its plans for ensuring women’s safety. She criticized the TDP-led NDA government for scrapping the Disha App, emphasising the importance of initiatives that protect women.
