Sun Jan 26 22:12:27 IST 2025: ## Chidambaram Accuses Centre of Attempting to Turn Universities into “RSS Camps”
**Madurai, January 26, 2025** – Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Sunday accused the central government of attempting to seize control of all Indian universities by undermining state governments’ roles in Vice-Chancellor appointments. Speaking at a Republic Day public meeting, Mr. Chidambaram alleged the government’s aim was to transform universities into “RSS camps.”
He criticized the Centre’s proposed changes to the Vice-Chancellor appointment process, arguing that the amendments, facilitated through the University Grants Commission (UGC), would effectively remove state governments’ influence, leading to the appointment of only individuals aligned with the RSS ideology. This, he warned, would result in syllabus changes and a dismantling of the secular nature of universities.
Mr. Chidambaram further criticized the Centre’s handling of loan waivers, highlighting the government’s willingness to waive off crores of rupees in loans for large corporations while refusing to provide similar relief to farmers, students, and Self-Help Groups (SHGs). He questioned whether this aligned with the vision of national leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, and Ambedkar.
He also condemned the Centre’s actions in Jammu and Kashmir, warning that the division of the state into three Union Territories could serve as a precedent for similar actions against other states. The proposed “one nation, one election” policy, he added, was an attempt to eliminate regional parties and consolidate BJP’s power, thereby undermining India’s federal structure and democratic principles. Mr. Chidambaram concluded by asserting that these actions contradicted the very essence of a republic.
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