Several students and research scholars of Banaras Hindu University stated sit-in at Holkar Bhawan near vice-chancellor’s residence on the varsity campus on Thursday, demanding cancellation of appointment of Muslim assistant professor in the ‘Sahitya’ (literature) department of the faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyan (SVDV).
Scores of SVDV research scholars and students staged the protest while playing musical instruments demanding cancellation of Firoz Khan as assistant professor in the department.
As quoted in a report of leading newspaper TOI, the PhD scholars of the faculty including Shriram Puradhipati, Shashikant Mishra and Shubham Tiwari, wrote a letter to BHU vice-chancellor Rakesh Bhatnagar, claiming that the varsity’s founder late Pt Madan Mohan Malviya had termed the SVDV faculty as the heart of the varsity.
“The stone-plate of the faculty also contains that this institution is for cultural, religious, historical debates and discussion of Sanatan Hindus and their direct or indirect branches like Arya Samaj, Bauddh, Jain, Sikh, etc., only,” they said in the letter alleging that “despite knowing all these facts, a ‘non-Hindu’ has been appointed, which seems to a conspiracy.”
They alleged that as the new appointment is against the soul and spirit of the institution, they were demanding cancellation of the appointment of the assistant professor.
However, the varsity administration made it clear that the appointment has been made as per the rules of UGC and BHU Act by a transparent process only on the basis of the eligibility of the candidate.
