Puducherry, Feb 28 (PTI) A BJP MLA caused a flutter at the convocation of the Pondicherry Central University here on Tuesday questioning the choice of the person to distribute certificates to the students and alleged breach of protocol.

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The MLA - P M L Kalyanasundaram- got into an argument with the Pondicherry Central University Vice-Chancellor Gurmeet Singh as the Director of JIPMER was distributing the certificates to students.

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He questioned him as to why territorial ministers and MPs who were present in the audience were not invited to hand over the certificates and alleged a breach of protocol.

Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankar was to be the chief guest at the 29th annual convocation of the university but called off his trip. Subsequently, the university authorities had chosen Lt Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to preside as the chief guest. She, however, did not attend the event with the varsity authorities saying that she was preoccupied with some other work.

Puducherry Chief Minister N Rangasamy, who was expected to attend, did not turn up.

When JIPMER Director Rakesh Aggarwal began distributing the certificates, the BJP MLA representing Kalapet Assembly segment rose from his seat and registered his strong protest against what he alleged 'breach of protocol'.

Kalyanasundaram also claimed that Home Minister A Namassivayam, Cooperation Minister Sai J Saravana Kumar and Members of Parliament were ignored as the JIPMER Director whose name was not in the invitation had been asked to distribute the certificates.

The university Vice Chancellor subsequently told the MLA that the Ministers and the MPs who were present at the ceremony would distribute gold medals to the toppers after certificates were distributed.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)