'Morally bound' Nair quits as IIT-P chairman

New Delhi: Former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair, who stepped down as the chairman of the Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Technology-Patna, on Saturday said that it was a matter of prestige for him and that he was morally bound to leave all government positions.

"More than being hurt, it is a matter of prestige for me. I am morally bound to leave all government positions," he said.

"The scientific community has made our country proud, many of them know of the work they have done, that's why they are sad about what happened."

Barred from holding any government position for his alleged role in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal, Nair went to Patna on Friday to bid farewell to his colleagues.

"I went there to say farewell. Though I have not got a copy of the government order, I did not want to continue after what has come out in the public domain," Nair, the architect of India's maiden moon mission said.

The former ISRO chief also got the backing from the scientist fraternity. Former knowledge commission chairman Dr P M Bhargav wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, expressing displeasure over the ban on Nair.

He wrote that he wanted the government decision of barring Nair and three others to be held in abeyance till the time committee reports were made public.

Bhargav termed the government decision as dictatorial in nature, adding that accountability appeared to be missing.

Besides Bhargav, Professor CNR Rao, head of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister also backed Nair over the issue, saying that he was "thrown out like garbage".

Mincing no words, an angry Rao while putting his weight behind Nair also slammed V Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, for his stand on the ISRO row.

"People who have served the country, served the organisation for long, you cannot throw them like garbage. That's what they have done. They have literally thrown them out of the window like garbage", Rao said.

"They have not treated corrupt persons in politics, in public life like that. Why only scientists have been picked up?" asked Rao, who is also the Honorary President of Bangalore-based Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research.

"Is this the way to treat anybody? Nobody will work for these (government) organisations if this is the way they are treated", Rao, a renowned scientist, said.

Nair said he appreciated Rao and other scientists for their support to him and was happy they voiced their concern over the developments in public.

"I really appreciate persons like Prof CNR Rao....they have understood the issue and I appreciate their concern," he added.

Meanwhile, when asked about his plans to move court against the government order, Nair said that he had filed an application under the RTI Act to get copies of the order and reports of the B K Chaturvedi Committee on the Antrix-Devas deal.

He said he had also sought a copy of the report of a team led by former CVC Pratyush Sinha which recommended action based on the findings of the Chaturvedi Committee.

"I am totally in the dark. I cannot do anything unless I get some information under the RTI Act," Nair said.

Nair said the Chaturvedi panel allowed them to present their case but the Sinha panel only sent a questionnaire, suggesting that they were denied the right to be heard.

Devas Multimedia has, meanwhile, moved the International Court of Arbitration to settle the issue.

(With Additional Inputs from PTI)