After two terms and a retirement period of over two years, former Vice-Chancellor from the Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Dr Dakshesh Thakar is now the new OSD to Madhya Pradesh Governor, Mangubhai Chagganbhai Patel. The appointment has kicked off controversy and has stirred off angry criticism from academicians.
An academician who served as a Dean during Dr Thakar’s term has termed the latter’s appointment a move to gain personal political benefits. “On Mangubhai’s appointment as Madhya Pradesh Governor, he reached Mangubhai’s residence with a box of sweets and flowers to congratulate him on his appointment,” he said, on conditions of anonymity. “Dr Dakshesh has always belittled the name of the University in an attempt to glorify and make his stature more important, which he has done successfully,” he added.
Suryakant Shah, another academician further added that “The post of a vice-chancellor is equivalent to that of a cabinet minister. Dr Dakshesh Thakar shouldn’t have accepted the appointment as an OSD to the Governor. He should have maintained the dignity of the post he had held and should have rejected the new post/job offer.”
Manish Doshi, spokesperson of Congress, while speaking to the VoI team said, “Daksheshbhai’s contribution to the literature and education department has been notable. A person of his cadre, who held the most respectable chair within the education fraternity, should not have stooped down to accept the post of OSD to the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. This is in poor taste and blatant disrespect to the honour and importance of the chair. He should have remained aloof from such an appointment or post. The government should have utilised his skills and appointed him at an appropriate academic level to benefit the educational society. These appointments are done on briefings from the RSS. It is quite clear that the Raj Bhavan at Madhya Pradesh works according to the whims of RSS. The post of a Governor is a constitutional position and its capture by the RSS is a Modi move and a move directed from Nagpur,” he added.
On the other hand, BJP spokesperson Yamal Vyas, speaking to Vibes of India shared his views. He said, “It is to be noted that Dr Dakshesh Thakar’s term as a Vice-Chancellor has ended. He is a man of capabilities and his appointment by the Governor of Madhya Pradesh is purely on his merit and devoid of any controversy. If one acted against the honour of the chair while being a chair, it definitely would have been an unacceptable action. But here he is now more than a VC and is a common man and his appointment is only to leverage his capabilities which isn’t a wrong decision.”
Vibes of India team while trying to contact former VC and current OSD to the new governor of Madhya Pradesh, received the reply that Dr Dakshesh Thakar doesn’t wish to comment at the moment.
