FTII row: Fit for the job won't quit, says Gajendra Chauhan

Amid ongoing protests over his appointment as chairman of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Gajendra Chauhan on Friday reiterated that he is fit for the job and there is no question of him stepping down.

In an exclusive interaction with India Today Television, Chauhan said he has been appointed by the Government of India and he will quit only if asked by the government to do so.

Meanwhile, the government has refused to yield to the demand of agitating students of FTII-Pune for reconsidering Chauhan's appointment. During an hour-long meeting, I&B Minister Arun Jaitley, who met the students and alumni members including Oscar-winner Resul Pookutty and filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli, asked them to "get back to class" and allow normal functioning of the institute.

"While the minister made it clear that there will be no rethink over the appointment of the institute head, he assured the students and alumni members that government had no intention to interfere in the working of the institute. He also assured them of all technological support to make it a national centre of excellence," told a source.

After the meeting, Pookutty said, "While many assurances were given but the core issue for which the students were protesting has not been resolved satisfactorily."

However, he did not specify that whether they will continue with the agitation.

"We will go back to the students to decide future course of action," he said when asked whether they will continue their protest over the appointment of Chauhan.

Chauhan, who played Yudhisthira in TV serial 'Mahabharat', was appointed on June 9 as Chairman of the governing council of FTII-Pune and President of FTII Society by the I&B ministry.

The decision triggered protests among the students there as they called for a person of a higher stature to head the institution. Similar sentiments were also expressed by some of the alumni of the institution.