AMN / LUCKNOW / ALIGARH
A day after the Uttar Pradesh Governor accepted his nomination to the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council by the BJP government, Aligarh Muslim University Vice Chancellor Tariq Mansoor resigned from his post, more than a month before his extended tenure comes to an end.
Pro vice-chancellor Mohammad Gulrez will officiate as the V-C till Mansoor’s successor is appointed, a notification issued by AMU registrar Mohammad Imran said.
Tariq Mansoor was amongst the six names forwarded by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh to the governor for being nominated as member of legislative council of the state.
In his farewell letter, the outgoing V-C Tariq Mansoor stated: “As I demit office, this is the last time I address you as the vice-chancellor. I had the opportunity of serving the institution for six years during good and challenging times.”
“Having studied, taught, served and led the university for so many memorable years, I am filled with emotions, which will forever remain an integral part of me,” said Mansoor, 66, who graduated in medicine from AMU and later joined Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College as a teacher.
“As the country enters the path of ‘New India’ and is poised to play a central role in world affairs, I am confident that AMU will continue to play a prominent role in the task of nation building,” he added.
He assumed office as the AMU V-C on May 17, 2017, for a period of five years. His term was to end in May 2022, but amid exceptional circumstances prevailing in the wake of the pandemic, the Centre extended his tenure by one year.
Once Mansoor takes oath as a member of the legislative council, he will become BJP’s fourth Muslim MLC in the 100-member House.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and senior BJP leaders congratulated six people from different walks of life, including AMU V-C Tariq Mansoor and Saket Mishra, son of Ram temple construction committee chairman Nripendra Mishra, who were set to become nominated MLCs, after UP governor Anandiben Patel gave her ascent to a Yogi government proposal in this regard.
Apart from AMU V-C and Mishra, the names also include Ambedkar Mahasabha chairman Lalji Prasad Nirmal, former BJP Braj region unit head Rajnikant Maheshwari, chief of ruling BJP’s Varanasi district unit Hansraj Vishwakarma, and Ramsurat Rajbhar, a lawyer from Azamgarh.
The 100-member upper house of the state legislature is already dominated by the BJP with 74 members with main opposition Samajwadi Party a distant second with nine MLCs, one short of the number required for it to get the leader of the opposition post in the upper house of the state legislature.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Apna Dal (Sonelal), Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (NISHAD), Jansatta Dal Loktantrik and Shikshak Dal (non-political) have one member each while the Congress, for the first time, doesn’t have a representation in the UP council, it once dominated.