Leaders and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Saturday assaulted a Muslim English professor at Sri Varshney College, Aligarh, accusing him of sending objectionable messages to a student.
The situation escalated as ABVP members, along with students — including several girls — surrounded the professor and raised slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Phool nahi chingari hain, hum Bharat ki nari hain.” Police arrived at the scene and rescued the professor from the crowd after considerable effort.
ABVP office-bearer Baldev Chaudhary CITU alleged the professor was involved in “love jihad,” claiming Muslim professors specifically target Hindu girls with promises of academic favors like PhD assistance. According to Chaudhary, the complainant — an ex-student — had approached the police, the SP City office, and the Women’s Commission.
Sri Varshney College principal Prof. Brijesh Kumar said the students initially refused to explain the allegations and demanded the professor’s immediate suspension. Upon inquiry, it emerged that the matter dates back six months, but no formal complaint had been submitted within the college.
“If the complainant is a student of our institution, we will investigate; if she is external, the police will handle it,” the principal told media. He said that the college would not suspend anyone solely based on public protest or allegations without a formal inquiry.
Aligarh Superintendent of Police (City) Mrigank Shekhar Pathak confirmed receiving a complaint from the ex-student, alleging the professor sent objectionable videos and messages. The professor’s mobile phone and laptop have been examined as part of the ongoing investigation.
“We are looking into all angles. The college has also formed an internal inquiry team. Additionally, we are reviewing CCTV footage regarding the assault on the professor,” Pathak said.
No arrests have been reported yet in connection with the assault.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com.
