Bengaluru, 24 March

Higher Education Minister MC Sudhakar on Tuesday defended the government’s decision to stop a proposed three-day lecture series on the RSS ideologue Deendayal Upadhyay at Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) in Mysuru, saying public universities must remain apolitical and free from ideological influence.

The International Academic Conference called ‘Ekatma Manava Darshan’ was scheduled to be held from 25 to 27 March at the Convocation Hall of the KSOU, a statement by the RSS media group stated.

Responding to criticism from the BJP over the cancellation of a lecture series, Sudhakar cited concerns over the nature of the organising body and the involvement of university authorities.

“It is shocking that our university has joined hands with them. The Vice-Chancellor himself is the reception committee chairman,” he said.

Alleging that the organisers were linked to a particular ideological stream, the Minister said, “This organisation is an intellectual wing associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). When such an organisation is conducting the event and the Vice-Chancellor himself is part of it, I think it sends a wrong message.”

Sudhakar termed the development a "breach of protocol", stating that the government had not been informed about the event.

“This is a State university. If at all it was related to improving higher education, then the government should also have been part of it,” he added.