The development came a day after he cleared the appointment of a new registrar, even as Vice Chancellor Yogesh Tyagi had appointed another person for the same position.

 

Joshi will be replaced by Geeta Bhatt, a member of right-wing teachers' group, National Teachers' Democratic Front (NDTF).

 

Bhatt is also a leading member of the Group of Intellectuals and Academics (GIA), which had said that the Delhi riots of February were a conspiracy of "Jihadis" and "Urban Naxals".

 

Soon after her appointment, Bhatt took out an order saying that Joshi is "without any jurisdiction and lawful authority".

 

The chaos at the university began when the joint-registrar's office issued a notification naming P.C. Jha as the Director of the university's South Campus and as interim registrar from October 21.

 

"He has been appointed as Director of South Campus in place of Suman Kundua with immediate effect till further orders. He will also act as Registrar, University of Delhi, as an interim arrangement, with immediate effect till further orders," the notification said.

 

According to university sources, the fight is between two factions, one backed by the Vice Chancellor, who backed Jha, and Joshi, who on the same day of Jha'a appointment, sent him a letter of "illegally occupying the office".

 

"In case you are not vacating the office immediately, you will be forcibly moved out of office and action will be initiated against you," Joshi said in the letter to Jha.

 

Meanwhile, professors and officials at the university have called the fiasco disturbing and humiliating for the university.

 

"The reputation of the university is built over decades and it can be lost within no time. Only one side can be right, but here both the sides are issuing letters, showing a situation of lawlessness. Those who are in power did not care about the reputation of the university, especially during admission time," said a professor of the university.

 

Meanwhile, The DU Teachers' Association condemned the series of events and termed them as "unprecedented chaos".

 

Vice Chancellor Tyagi, who is on medical leave at the moment, did not respond to the reporter's calls and messages.