MYSURU: Former MLC and senior BJP leader G Madhusudhana urged former Prime Mnister and JD(S) president HD Deve Gowda not to protect his relative, former vice-chancellor of Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) at the cost of lakhs of the varsity’s students, whose careers are shrouded in uncertainty in the aftermath of the University Grants Commission de-recognising its courses.Madhusudhna said that he was ready to participate in an open debate with Rangappa over the KSOU, and University of Mysore (UoM) scams.“Let the former VC of KSOU Prof. MG Krishnan moderate the debate. I have written to the Karnataka higher education minister GT Devegowda to schedule the debate, and decide the venue,” Madhusudhana said, adding that he did not wish to get entangled in a ‘political street fight’ on the issue.Charging Rangappa with destroying the future of nearly 10 lakh students of KSOU, Madhusudhana said, “When he was the KSOU VC, he was involved in a number of scams. He is unfit to become an advisor to the higher education minister.”Madhusudhana called on the former PM, and the new higher education minister to solve the KSOU imbroglio, and to ensure justice to all students. “Rangappa cheated lakhs of students by joining hands with private institutions and offering technical courses through correspondence, which was illegal,” said the former MLC.Pointing to a notice sent by the Distance Education Council (DEC) against running para-medial and technical courses through correspondence in 2011, Madhusushdana said, “But Rangappa, who was the then VC, did not care. He launched Unani, naturopathy and para-medical courses. Who is paying the price for his mistakes today?”Madhusudhana asked Rangappa, “Why did you fail to get a stay order against the DEC notice? What made you pay huge sums to advocates in Delhi? Why did you not apply for UGC recognition when you were at the helm? Why are you blaming Krishnan?”Laying the blame for the appointment scam that rocked the University of Mysore at Rangappa’s feet, Madhusudhana added, “He is responsible for transferring UoM registrar D Bharati, since he wanted to assume control of the varsity’s administration. Now, professors are queuing up to become the UoM VC.”

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