DU denies suspending official over Smriti Irani leak

Amid a raging controversy, Delhi University has said that no official has been suspended in connection with the purported leaking of documents about HRD Minister Smriti Irani's education after she sought rescinding of the action.

Terming media reports on suspension of five non-teaching staff as "incorrect", a statement by DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh said "the University has learnt that no suspension order has been issued to any employee of the School of Open Learning."

DU's media coordinator Malay Neerav, who had on Friday told the media about the suspension, on Saturday said there had been a "communication gap" on the issue.

"There was some communication gap. I had spoken to senior officials of SOL and was informed that five officials were being suspended. However, no order was passed. So the media reports are incorrect," Neerav said when asked to clarify on the issue.

Following the media reports about suspension of five officials, Irani had asked the University to "reinstate" them.

Irani had said that in public life one should be open to scrutiny and criticism.

"So am I," the minister said on microblogging site Twitter.

She said "since DelhiUniversity is an autonomous institution, I have put forth my personal appeal to the Vice Chancellor to reinstate the officials".

University sources had yesterday said that its School of Open Learning has suspended five persons on the suspicion that they entered a confidential domain and accessed documents which were leaked.

On the leaking of the documents, the Vice Chancellor said the matter of leakage of information related to the personal records of any student of SOL is viewed with grave concern.

"Such personal records are held by the School of Open Learning in a fiduciary capacity and are not available to the public at large. The University of Delhi condemns such acts in the strongest possible terms. Further, it has directed the School of Open Learning to ensure that no such incidents occur in the future," Singh said in the statement.

Opposition Congress on Saturday attacked the government following reports of suspension of five non-teaching staff of the University, saying the move smacked of "high-handedness" and was a precursor to the way the Centre wanted to conduct the affairs of the nation.

"Now this smacks not only of arrogance but it smacks of high-handedness. May be it is a precursor to the manner in which this government wants to conduct the affairs of the nation," party leader Manish Tewari said.