Kataka: A fresh controversy has erupted at Ravenshaw University after Kataka Sadar MLA and Senate Member Prakash Chandra Sethi wrote to Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy, seeking action against the university’s Head of the Department of Education and Chief Warden, Dr. Sudarshan Mishra, for his alleged ‘misconduct’ during a meeting convened to resolve an ongoing student protest.
In a letter dated August 4, Sethi alleged that Dr. Mishra behaved in an “inappropriate and disrespectful” manner during discussions held in the presence of the Vice-Chancellor to resolve an indefinite hunger strike by students of the university’s East Hostel.
The students have been staging the protest against the Deputy Warden, accusing him of harassment. According to Sethi, he attended the meeting in his capacity as a Senate Member of Ravenshaw University and as the elected representative of the Kataka Sadar Assembly constituency to help facilitate an amicable resolution.
The MLA alleged that while he was offering suggestions during the discussions, Dr. Mishra repeatedly interrupted him, engaged in arguments and displayed conduct unbecoming of a senior university official. He claimed that the professor’s behaviour undermined the dignity of an elected public representative.
Describing the incident as “gross misconduct”, Sethi urged the Speaker to initiate appropriate action against Dr. Mishra. He also requested that necessary directions be issued to the concerned authorities to prevent the recurrence of such incidents and to uphold the dignity of the Legislative Assembly and its members.
The development comes amid continuing unrest on the Ravenshaw University campus, where students have been demanding action against the Deputy Warden over the alleged harassment.
Neither Dr. Sudarshan Mishra nor Ravenshaw University had issued any official response to the allegations till the filing of this report.
