The Higher Education Ministry will not hesitate to sack not a thousand but even two thousand students who obstruct the university authorities from taking decisions and implementing them, said Minister S.B. Dissanayake.

The actions taken by the Higher Education Ministry and the University Grants Commission up to now have been only to suspend several students from the lectures after disciplinary inquiries held against them, said Minister Dissanayake while addressing a media briefing in Colombo.

Referring to the university students in police custody, Mr. Dissanayake said it was not due to any actions of the university authorities. The have been arrested by police over charges like assault on policemen, damaging property etcetera, said the Minister. “WE have not sacked even a single student,” he added.

Refering to the incident at the Ruhuna University this morning (Oct. 20) Minister Dissanayake said the authorities did not order the police to move in.

“The Vice Chancellor and some officials went towards a group of students who were argueing. The students had said they could sort out their problems and tried to chase the officials away. One among the groups of students had assaulted two officials while another had thrown a pole which struck the Vice Chancellor’s head and injured him,” said S.B. Dissanayake.