Delhi University assistant professor Kedar Kumar Mandal has been booked for his Facebook post likening Goddess Durga to a ‘sexy prostitute’.
In a Facebook post posted on 22nd September, Mandal had posted a Facebook status (now deleted) referring to the Goddess to a prostitute. Others, too, chimed in, agreeing with Mandal’s post.
https://twitter.com/DeepikaBhardwaj/status/911460280110059521
Offended by his post, members of National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) had submitted their complaint against Mandal at Lodhi Road police station on September 23 following which an FIR was registered against him. He has been booked under section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, etc.) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code.The NDTF has also alleged that Mandal had shared this post in 21 different groups as well.
According to his profile on Facebook, he has studied and taught at Jawaharlal Nehru University, where using such terminology for Hindu goddesses passes off as intellectualism and liberalism.
Earlier in March, 2016, Smriti Irani, the then HRD Minister, in Parliament had raised the issue of JNU students celebrating “Mahishasur Martyrdom Day” where some JNU students had referred to Goddess Durga as a sex worker.
BJP spokesperson Tajinder Bagga also claimed that Mandal is a close associate of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
https://twitter.com/TajinderBagga/status/911640166053298176
This is not the first time Mandal has written crass and sexist comments.
Referring to Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Mandal states an “infertile CM and an infertile government could make the entire UP infertile”. Using the term “infertile” as an insult is highly inappropriate and sexist.