LARKANA: A two-month-old row between some teachers and the principal of Government Degree College Larkana turned tense on Tuesday when the two sides used rough language accusing each other of spoiling the academic atmosphere of the institution.

Principal Prof Ghulam Serwar Qureshi lodged a case with the Rehmatpur police station against Prof Mubeen Langah, head of the department of information technology (IT), Prof Lal Bakhsh Kalhoro and Prof Syed Imtiaz Ali Shah, who is president of the Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA), Degree College unit.

Talking to Dawn, the principal said he was abused and stopped while visiting the IT department by some professors sitting there. “Why should I go out? Being the principal of the college, I have the right to take rounds and check routine business,” the principal said. “Instead, I asked the professors who threatened me to leave the premises,” he said.

Later college staff and certain professors sought to control the situation, he said. “I have conveyed the matter to Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, Sindh education minister, and the director colleges,” he said.

Meanwhile, the SPLA Degree College chapter in a press statement disputed the principal’s version and accused him of using fists and abusive language, and also issuing death threats to IT department head Mubeen Langah and Prof Imtiaz Shah.

Condemning the alleged attitude of the principal, the unit members after holding a general body called on Prof Athar Mangi, director of Larkana region colleges, and apprised him of the situation.

They demanded early removal of the principal and initiating action against him, the statement said. The director assured the SPLA of taking action.

The SPLA degree college chapter in a meeting on Tuesday, presided over by its district president Prof Bashir Ahmed Chandio, condemned the principal’s alleged rough behaviour.

They announced observing a black day in colleges throughout Larkana district on Wednesday against the incident. They also accused the principal of posting private armed guards and issuing death threats to professors.

However, the rival group of SPLA led by Yakoob Chandio in a meeting here on Tuesday supported the principal’s stance.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2016