“Falling at politician’s feet for post”: New VC refutes Jaffna Bishop’s harsh comment

The new Vice Chancellor, R.Wigneswaran has rejected a comment by Jaffna Bishop that the new VC has obtained the post by falling at the feet of the politicians as baseless. He also said that he is strongly condemning the Bisahop’s comment. He further commented that Prof. Sri Satkunarajah was not given the post by the President on the basis of intelligence report.

Speaking in a public event a few days back the Jaffna Bishop, Rt. Rev. Justin Bernard  Gnnapragasam vehemently criticized the VC appointment. ” While the person selected by the Council had been rejected, a person who had gone fell at the feet of the politicians had elected as the new VC. Will the students respect him? Will the lecturers respect him? Whither the education is going?, he had vehemently asked.

In reference to this comment, the VC had said that he is strongly condemning Bishop’s comment.

He further said that, while our names were sent to the President, intelligence reports about our activities from the day we joined the University were also submitted to him. The reports were un-favourable to the man in the spot of the list. My ones were favourable to me and I was selected.

Is the Bishop, who was a member of the Council, ignorant of selection criteria? Why was he silent when persons in the third spots were elected? I condemn his commenting in a way suitable to him without studying the basic data, he said.