Stephen's staff to protest against principal on Friday

New Delhi: The staff association of St Stephen’s College in New Delhi has planned a mass protest directed against principal Valson Thampu on Friday for “unjust” actions being initiated against some individuals. The protesters will wear black bands and hold a agitation. One of the issues at the centre of the controversy is the disciplinary proceedings against Professor MS Frank, who has questioned Thampu’s eligibility to be the principal of the college.[caption id=“attachment_180516” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“St Stephen’s College, principal, Valson Thampu. Image courtesy St Stephen’s College”] [/caption] An inquiry was initiated last month against Frank on a series of charges of misconduct in college. The members of the staff association, in a meeting held on Wednesday, questioned the manner in which Thampu brought the matter before the governing body of the college and obtained necessary approvals for initiating a case of misconduct against Frank. They felt the actions were directed against Frank with an aim to pressurise him to withdraw his case challenging Thampu’s appointment as principal. Besides the case of Frank, the staff association members said they were also agitated by the “derogatory” and “threatening” remarks in the minutes of the governing body meeting circulated by Thampu against a woman employee of the college who had taken up her complaint of sexual harassment with the governing body. The staff association members will wear “black bands” and hold a dharna in the college premises “in view of unjust and malafide actions taken or sought to be taken by Thampu against certain members of the teaching and non-teaching staff”, said a statement. As many as 44 of the 54 permanent members of the college faculty had earlier made a representation to the chairman of the governing body, making plain their objections to the “dubious” manner in which the matter was brought before the governing body and approvals obtained for initiating a case of misconduct against Frank. PTI