Tension has gripped the Motihari campus of Mahatma Gandhi Central University after two of its teachers were dismissed from their jobs.

The university administration sacked assistant professors Sashi Kant Rai of the biotechnology department and Amit Ranjan of the zoology department from their jobs before the Puja vacation without furnishing any reason. Later, it claimed that the duo's services were terminated on 'performance grounds'.

Sashi Kant Rai accused the administration of targeting him and Ranjan because they were from BIhar. He said: 'On September 28, officer on special duty Ashutosh Pradhan and registrar Vanmali Singh called me and handed me the termination letter. I was shocked. No reason was cited.

'When I sought to know the reason, they replied that it was the university executive council's decision.'

The executive council of the university is the highest decision-making body, chaired by vice-chancellor Arvind Kumar Agarwal.

Sashi Kant plans to meet Union agriculture minister and Motihari MP Radha Mohan Singh with his grievances over the university administration's alleged decision to target teachers from the state. He said: 'As VC Agarwal is an outsider, the university administration is targeting teachers from the state. The varsity administration is targeting Amit Ranjan and me as we are from Bihar.'

The administration denied the allegation. VC Agarwal said: 'The teachers were appointed last year and were on a year's probation. As their performance was not satisfactory, the varsity executive council decided not to accept their services any more.'

The VC added: 'The duo were dismissed as per university rules and act. There are several teachers and non-faculty members from outside Bihar. Why will the administration target teachers, students and faculty members from Bihar when the university is located in Bihar?'

Students' bodies associated with Chhatra (students' wing) RJD on Sunday burnt the effigy of the university administration against the dismissal of the two teachers.