Congress and Bahujan Samaj Party on Thursday came out in support of the Muslim professor whose appointment at the Banaras Hindu University’s Sanskrit department has triggered a controversy.
Taking to Twitter, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra defended the appointment of the Muslim professor.
“Our languages and culture are our speciality, our strength,” the Congress leader tweeted.
“Sanskrit language has vastness. The Constitution of our country has vastness. Any teacher can teach Sanskrit in a university,” the Congress general secretary added.
Praising the BHU administration for appointing a minority community individual for the post of a Sanskrit teacher, BSP supremo Mayawati on Thursday said that due to the lackadaisical attitude of the government, the matter was being unnecessarily politicised and this should be immediately stopped.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Mayawati posted, “The lax attitude of the government/administration on the controversy surrounding the appointment of PhD scholar Firoze Khan as a Sanskrit teacher at BHU’s Sanskrit Vidya Dharam Vigyan (SVDV), is the reason why the matter is getting unnecessary hype.”
She added, “This controversy, arising because of some people linking education with the politics of religion/caste, cannot be justified at all.”
The BSP chief said, “The appointment of a highly-qualified Muslim Sanskrit scholar by BHU as a teacher would be considered giving fair patronage to talent and no one should be allowed to do any work that would lower the morale in this regard. It would be better if the government pays proper attention to it immediately.”
She also sought immediate intervention of the Central government.
A group of students is protesting against the appointment of a Muslim teacher, Firoze Khan, as an assistant professor for Sanskrit. Khan has a doctorate in Sanskrit.
On the other hand, the BHU has issued a statement that the Selection Committee, headed by the Vice-Chancellor of the university had appointed Dr Firoze Khan. Apart from the subject experts, visitor nominee, head of the faculty, head of the department and OBC supervisor were among the members of the Selection Committee, it said.
Meanwhile, the Sanskrit faculty continues to remain closed for almost a fortnight over the appointment of Khan. Students have been sitting on a dharna outside the residence of the vice-chancellor’s residence-cum-office in protest against Khan’s appointment, claiming that a non-Hindu cannot be appointed to teach in a specialised department.
While students continued to protest against Khan’s appointment, a section of students also held banners in support of his appointment.
Many were seen with posters which read “We are with you Dr Firoze Khan.”
Student groups in BHU also organised a late-night assembly in support of Khan.
It may be mentioned that many, including actor Paresh Rawal, have came out in support of Khan.
On Wednesday, Rawal took to Twitter and said, “Stunned by the protest against professor Feroz Khan! what language has to do with Religion!?!?!? Irony is professor Feroze has done his masters and PhD in Sanskrit!!! For Heaven’s sake stop this god damn idiocy! (sic).”