New Delhi, August 6: The move to introduce Vedic Astrology as a subject in universities came under strong attack at the 'Sahamat' cultural organisation's convention here on Sunday.

As criticism of the BJP-led government's alleged 'saffronisation' of education continued on the convention's second day, academicians were particularly harsh on the HRD Ministry's 'Vedic Astrology' proposal.

Former University Grants Commission chairman Sathis Chandra described it as "an attack on the liberal, human and rational values on which the university system of learning has been founded".

Chennai-based Mathematical Institute scientist T Jayaraman said it was aimed at "thwarting scientific investigation and rigid interrogation of scientific precepts and inquiry within the social sciences".

Prof P M Bhargava said the move was against values of equity, justice and secularism epitomised in the Constitution, which could be propagated only through a public school system under a national school curricular framework.

Chennai-based M S University's former vice-chancellor Vasanthi Devi accused the Sangh Parivar of attempting to distort history and exhorted academicians to organise themselves against any such move. (PTI)