Karnataka Governor's Office Urges State Government to Lift Freeze on KSOU Bank Accounts

The Lok Bhavan Karnataka, the Governor's office, has written to the State government for the second time requesting it to lift the freeze on the bank accounts of the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysuru. The accounts were frozen after the varsity hosted an event ‘Ekatma Manava Darshan-Bharat's World View” in March marking 60 years of Hindutva ideologue Deendayal Upadhyaya's lectures for three days on the KSOU campus.

The Special Secretary to Governor, R. Prabhu Shankar, said that the freeze has paralyzed the functioning of the university, impacting academic activities, payment of salaries, disbursement of scholarships, and discharge of statutory obligations.

The issue was raised by Congress legislators in the Legislative Council, following which the Higher Education Department had issued a show-cause notice to the Vice-Chancellor Sharanappa V. Halse.

The Governor's office has asked the government to withdraw the communication issued to the bank and send an action taken report in compliance with the direction of the Governor at the earliest. The court will not be involved in this matter, but the state government is expected to respond to the Governor's office request soon.