The BHU has been grappling with protests ever since Dr Firzo Khan was appointed to teach Hindu Theology at the University. The students of the Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vidgyan at Banaras Hindu University continued their movement today even though they called off their demonstrations yesterday over the appointment of a Muslim professor to the faculty.
To that effect, they submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office located near the University and demanded that the appointment of Dr Firoz Khan be rescinded.
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Hundreds of students participated in the march to the Prime Minister’s office and raised slogans. Chakrapani Ojha, one of the leaders of the student’s protests, told reporters that the appointment was made in violation of the vision that Madan Mohan Malviya had of the University. “Our protests against the movement continue and as a part of this, we came to the Prime Minister’s Office to submit a memorandum,” he said.
Ojha reiterated that the students have no personal enmity with the professor and said that they only wish that the vision with which the University was founded is respected and the rules to that end are followed.
Meanwhile, Dr Firoz Khan has applied at the Ayurveda Department at the University. His interview is due to occur on the 29th of November. There is no vacancy for the post of a Sanskrit teacher in the Arts Faculty’s Sanskrit department, but there is one in the Ayurveda department where Firoz Khan can apply and be selected. Then, he will resign from SVDV as he has already joined through the office of VC, formally. It is seen as a move to end the whole fiasco which has escalated and reached even the PMO.
This development comes after yesterday, the BHU SVDV students had said that they were temporarily ending their ‘dharna’ but will continue to boycott classes and examinations till the administration responds to their questions. The students had forwarded certain questions to the administration and the BHU administration, in turn, had asked for 10 days to respond. It was also reported yesterday that the Prime Minister’s Office had got involved in trying to smooth tensions.
