BHU's Muslim professor, who faced protests, shifted to another department
What's the story
He is a Muslim and can't teach Sanskrit. This is what BHU students said about Professor Firoze Khan.
They staged massive protests, didn't allow him to take a single class, and succumbing to the pressure of their students, the top university shifted Khan to a different faculty.
Khan will now teach students at Arts Faculty, the university's administration confirmed.
Here are more details.
Context
Background: Khan was best man for the job, said interviewers
Khan was appointed as an assistant professor at the Sanskrit Vidhya Dharma Vigyan (SVDV). Students, mostly from ABVP, protested against his appointment, saying a non-Hindu can't teach the language.
Interestingly, the panel which selected Khan for the job said he was the most qualified candidate.
The interviewers included Professor Radhavallabh Tripathi, one of India's most celebrated Sanskrit scholar.
Resignation
After days of students' protest, Khan resigned this week
However, neither Khan's qualification nor the support which BHU gave to him mattered and the students continued protesting.
And on Monday, he finally put his papers. This was confirmed by Professor Kaushalendra Pandey.
"He has expressed an interest in joining another wing in the university that teaches Sanskrit. He gave his resignation yesterday (Monday) evening," Prof. Pandey, who accepted his resignation, said.
Quote
Khan will now teach Sanskrit at Arts Faculty
"He will join the Sanskrit department of the Arts faculty... As a teacher I can only say it is good that he has got other opportunities," Professor Pandey was quoted by NDTV. Notably, Sanskrit is taught at three faculties of BHU.
Attack
Meanwhile, another scholar was attacked for supporting Khan
On a related note, the unruly students attacked another Sanskrit scholar on Monday, because he supported Khan.
Professor Lal Shanti, a senior faculty member of SVDV, claimed stones were hurled at him.
"I was sitting in a classroom when some students barged in and started abusing me in foul language. They asked me to stop supporting a Muslim's appointment to the faculty," he said.