JAIPUR: A group of students, alleged to be ABVP activists, vandalised the administrative block of Mohanlal Sukhadia University (MLSU) Monday in protest against vice-chancellor Sunita Mishra’s remark describing Mughal emperor Aurangzeb as a “good administrator” during an international seminar held on Sept 12 at the university campus.During her 23-minute address at the seminar, Mishra spoke on topics ranging from Maharana Pratap and Prithviraj Chauhan to the Mughal era. While discussing the “mixed legacy of history,” she also referred to Aurangzeb’s administrative capabilities. The protesters Monday accused her of glorifying a controversial historical figure and demanded her resignation. They also allegedly broke the windowpanes of the university’s administration block and burned an effigy of the vice-chancellor, after which the police were called in. A meeting was held between student leaders and Registrar VC Garg. The students dispersed after Garg assured them that their concerns would be addressed. Mishra, who was appointed vice-chancellor in Aug 2023 during the tenure of former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, defended her remarks. “Yes, I said that Aurangzeb was a great administrator-but my speech doesn’t end there. My next sentence was that he is responsible for the divide caused by his policies like jaziya (tax on non-Muslims). A portion of my speech has been selectively played up by the ABVP, a group of university teachers and some right-wing groups as part of a propaganda to remove me from the position,” Mishra told TOI Monday. She said that in her speech, she also praised Maharana Pratap, Prithviraj Chauhan and Emperor Akbar, “in line with what our historians have established.” On Monday’s vandalism, she said, “This is the handiwork of ABVP hooligans who wanted to cause physical harm to me. I have told the police not to be lenient with them. Let’s see whether they act or not.” Mishra, a native of Odisha, is a professor at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Central University in Lucknow and is currently on deputation to serve as VC of MLSU.
