An incident of religious bigotry exhibited by a government college professor came to the fore in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas district, where a Muslim assistant professor was booked by local police for wiping off a Rangoli depicting Radha-Krishna and the national flag—an act that was caught on CCTV. The professor, identified as Jujair Ali Rangwala, also faces accusations of posting offensive WhatsApp statuses.
Rangwala, an assistant professor of chemistry at the Government Arts and Commerce College in Kannod, was charged based on a complaint from the college administration. The CCTV footage has since gone viral on the internet.
? SHAMEFUL! 'Peaceful' Jujer Ali 'WIPED off' Lord Krishna's rangoli with his feet ?
— Megh Updates ?™ (@MeghUpdates) April 1, 2025
— "Strict ACTION will be taken", says MP BJP govt Minister. pic.twitter.com/YWmKKyVXcY
As per reports, Jujair Ali Rangwala has been booked under Sections 298 and 196 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for damaging a sacred object and promoting enmity between communities.
“An FIR has been registered based on the acting principal’s complaint, and we have recommended to the higher education department that the professor be removed from his duties at the college,” said Rituraj, Dewas district collector, acknowledging the development and stating that immediate action was taken once the matter came to light.
The incident was brought to the authorities’ attention by students affiliated with the RSS’s student wing, the ABVP, who submitted CCTV footage allegedly showing the professor deliberately stepping on the Rangoli. They also provided screenshots of his controversial WhatsApp statuses, including posts related to India’s recent Champions Trophy victory.
While the WhatsApp posts were recent, the exact date of the CCTV footage remains unclear. The acting principal, Prem Pal, confirmed that the footage was from the college premises but noted uncertainty about when it was recorded. “We have filed an FIR against the assistant professor at Kannod police station,” he added.
