While PUTA president Prof Surinder Singh Khaira has accused PUTA secretary Dr N.S. Atri of having become a puppet in the hands of the university authorities, the latter has charged Khaira with issuing anti-teacher statements with political overtones.

Khaira today sent a letter to the university Registrar, copies of which were made available late in the evening, alleging that Atri had been acting as a puppet in the hands of the university authorities and working for promotion of factionalism among members of the teaching faculty.

He alleged that the secretary had neither been calling meetings on his directions nor attending them. He said the PUTA executive had met on January 28 wherein the demand for convening a general body meeting was discussed. But, it was felt that in view of the tense situation prevailing on the campus, a general body meeting should not be called.

Khaira said that "small meetings" being called and held by Atri were weakening the cause of teachers and promoting factionalism. The PUTA chief has called upon the university authorities to desist from their patronage to elements promoting groupism and said that this was vital to avoid any untoward incident in view of the prevailing tense atmosphere on the campus.

Meanwhile, Atri, in a separate statement, said that over 100 PUTA members today attended a meeting convened by him and five members of the PUTA executive. He said by a unanimous resolution, the House endorsed the stand taken by the secretary on various controversial issues, like the alleged anti-teacher and political overtones raised by the PUTA president in the past. Khaira came in for sharp criticism for his "anti-teacher stand, hailing the blanket ban on recruitments and promotions, and for dragging the name of PUTA, which is a statutory body, into the ongoing Akali Dal tussle".

By another resolution, Atri said, the teachers took exception to such activities of the PUTA president and urged him to "desist from making anti-teacher and politically-motivated statements" and lead the faculty at this crucial time in giving a unified fight to the delaying tactics adopted by the Punjab government for releasing the notification of new pay-scales without dilution.

Regarding the scrapping of the re-employment scheme and the decision of contractual appointments against vacant posts in the recently-held Syndicate meeting, the House stressed taking up the issue with the Vice-Chancellor as both the decisions were "anti-teacher".

The meeting resolved to participate in the protest rally being organised under the banner of the All India Federation of University Teachers' Association (AIFUTA) at Panjab University on February 16 for the unnecessary delay in the release of new scales' notification by the Punjab government, and for intended dilution of important pro-teacher clauses, including the enhancement in retirement age to 62 and incremental incentives to readers and Ph.D degree holders. In pursuance to the call given by AIFUTA, the Punjabi University faculty members protested by sporting black badges.