BHU students call off protest as RSS backs Sanskrit professor

Students called off a fortnight-long sit-in protest on Friday against the appointment of a Muslim to teach Sanskrit in Banaras Hindu University’s Sanskrit studies department, apparently swayed by the support he received from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (BHU) and vice chancellor Rakesh Bhatnagar.

The local chapter of RSS on Friday described “as totally wrong” the protest that started on November 7 against the appointment of Dr. Firoz Khan at the department of Sahitya in the faculty of Sankrit Vidya Dharma Vijgyan (SVDV).

The ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party expressed full support for the appointment of Khan, making its stand public after a three-hour meeting of the senior functionaries at the Vishwa Samvad Kendra in Varanasi where Khan’s appointment was discussed.

“All aspects related to the controversy regarding appointment of Dr Firoz Khan in the department of Sahitya at the faculty of SVDV was discussed in the meeting,” said Jai Prakash Lal, a senior functionary at the Kashi region RSS,”It is the clear view of the RSS that protesting against Dr Firoz Khan is totally wrong.. It is the firm and clear view of the RSS that the protest on communal grounds against a person, who is dedicated to teaching Sanskrit reverentially and has been appointed through a legal selection process, is entirely wrong.”