Nara Lokesh Challenges Opposition Over Vice-Chancellor Resignations

The second day of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly session saw intense debates, with Minister Nara Lokesh strongly objecting to allegations made by MLC Chandrasekhar Reddy regarding the forced resignations of vice-chancellors. Reddy claimed that 17 out of 19 vice-chancellors were pressured into resigning. In response, Lokesh challenged him to provide evidence, stating, “If you present proof, I will order an immediate investigation.” He asserted that making baseless allegations was unacceptable and dared the opposition to substantiate their claims.

Refuting the accusations, Lokesh questioned, “How can we intimidate the vice-chancellors when universities function under the Governor’s purview? Tell us who threatened them.” He also reminded the opposition of a past incident involving the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) chairman, stating, “You locked the APPSC chairman out of his own office—how can you talk about intimidation?” He demanded that Reddy withdraw his remarks immediately.

Lokesh argued that the vice-chancellors resigned because of their own misconduct. He further revealed that 500 candidates had applied for the positions and emphasized that, unlike the previous government, his administration did not favor any particular group. He claimed that social justice was upheld and that appointments were made based on merit and expertise in the field of education.

He criticized the opposition, stating, “Threats, intimidation, and forcefully removing officials are your habits.” He accused them of manipulating the system in the past and alleged that they were responsible for locking the APPSC chairman out of his office. He also took a jab at the opposition’s political tactics, saying, “Unlike you, we don’t send schoolchildren to the Chief Minister’s meetings.”

Furthermore, Lokesh accused the opposition of targeting judiciary members, stating, “You covered yourselves in secrecy, attacked judges’ wives with defamatory posts, and some of your people are already in jail for these actions.”