The Catholic Minority Welfare Society (CMWS), Chennai, has issued a strongly worded statement condemning Loyola College Principal Rev. Dr. A. Louis Arocklaraj SJ over remarks made against RTI activist and Legal Rights Protection Forum General Secretary A.S. Santhosh, Loyola alumnus Joseph D. Kennedy, and former Loyola College employee Mary Rajasekaran.
In a media statement issued on 27 May 2026, CMWS demanded that the Principal and Loyola College issue an unconditional public apology to the three individuals for what it described as defamatory and personally intrusive remarks. The organisation also called upon the University of Madras to declare the Principal’s appointment null and void and remove him from office, alleging that his appointment itself was carried out in violation of prescribed university norms.
The controversy stems from a response reportedly submitted by Loyola College to the University of Madras regarding complaints over the college’s academic programmes and regulatory compliance. CMWS alleged that instead of addressing the substance of the complaints, the Principal personally targeted the complainants, describing A.S. Santhosh as a “busybody”, branding Joseph D. Kennedy a “disgruntled” RTI applicant, and making remarks about Mary Rajasekaran despite her having no connection to the complaint under consideration.
According to CMWS, the response was submitted while Loyola College was defending its Diploma in Film Making programme conducted in association with Don Bosco International Media Academy (DBIMA), France, which the organisation claims was run without obtaining permission from the University of Madras. CMWS alleged that the Principal sidestepped questions relating to regulatory compliance and instead focused on attacking those who had raised concerns.
The organisation further alleged that the college had taken contradictory positions regarding foreign collaborations. It stated that while Loyola College had previously declared before the National Human Rights Commission that it had no foreign collaboration, the Principal’s own correspondence suggested otherwise.
CMWS also accused the college administration of attempting to secure political protection from scrutiny by copying correspondence to a DMK minister and senior Tamil Nadu bureaucrats. The organisation stated that the political circumstances under which such protection was allegedly sought had changed following the change of government in the State.
Citing findings from an inspection report prepared by the University of Madras and submitted to the NHRC, CMWS alleged that Loyola College’s M.A. Philosophy programme suffered from several serious regulatory deficiencies. These allegedly included the absence of separate classrooms, faculty rooms, libraries and departmental signages, non-compliance with UGC faculty qualification norms, the sharing of faculty with Sathya Nilayam Research Institute, and violations of reservation norms in student admissions, including the failure to submit category-wise data to the State government.
CMWS further claimed that the inspection report found that the appointment of Rev. Dr. A. Louis Arocklaraj SJ as Principal had not followed mandated university selection panel procedures, rendering the appointment procedurally defective.
The organisation noted that the Ministry of Education, Government of India, had directed both the University Grants Commission and the Tamil Nadu Higher Education Department to take appropriate action in the matter. It also announced plans to write to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus in Rome, seeking disciplinary action against the Principal for alleged conduct unbecoming of a Jesuit priest and educator.
Among its demands, CMWS called for a public apology from Loyola College and its Principal to A.S. Santhosh, Joseph D. Kennedy and Mary Rajasekaran; a declaration by the University of Madras that the Principal’s appointment is null and void; immediate action by the Tamil Nadu government on the Ministry of Education’s directive; and the completion of disciplinary proceedings by the UGC and the University of Madras Syndicate.
The organisation also expressed solidarity with A.S. Santhosh, Joseph D. Kennedy and Mary Rajasekaran, stating that they had pursued the matter in the public interest and should not be subjected to personal attacks for raising regulatory concerns.
CMWS concluded by stating that no educational institution, regardless of its reputation, is above the law, and argued that a principal whose own appointment is under challenge should not seek to dismiss critics as being motivated.
Media Statement issued by the Catholic Minority Welfare Society, Chennai:
Catholic Minority Welfare Society (CMWS) has expressed full solidarity with the Legal Rights Protection Forum and its General Secretary A.S. Santhosh, strongly condemning Loyola College Principal Rev. Dr.… https://t.co/DGlkdLZhr0 pic.twitter.com/aZajZPUJGl
— Legal Rights Protection Forum (@lawinforce) May 28, 2026
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