Banaras Hindu University students have recently taken to staging a sit-in out the VC's lodge to protest the selection of a Muslim professor.
The protest has been going on for over a week now, having begun 2 days after Feroz Khan was appointed as an assistant professor in the in the literature department of the faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyan.
Their demand is that the appointment should be cancelled because Khan is Muslim.
On Thursday the University came out with an official statement which reiterated that the Selection Committee, "on the basis of the performance in the interview" had recommended the most "suitable" candidate for the position.
It added that the Vice-Chancellor had met with some representatives of the protesters to reiterate that the BHU Act was being followed and that selections had been made "as per the guidelines of the Government of India and the UGC"
Students have reportedly claimed that the appointment of a Muslim teacher, especially one who is teaching Sanskrit, is a "conspiracy". They believe that the move has hurt the sentiments of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, who helped establish the university.
Speaking to ThePrint, Chakrapani Ojha, a student of the Sanskrit faculty who is leading the sit-in protests said, "We have two main allegations. First is that this appointment has been made as part of a conspiracy. The entire process, including the interview, was rigged in favour of Feroz Khan. Secondly, the stone inscription installed in BHU clearly states that no non-Hindu can either study or teach in our department. Then why a Muslim professor was appointed in the faculty?"
The university however says that no such stone inscription exists on the premises that say non-Hindus can’t study or teach in BHU.
According to the University's press release, it was agreed upon by the parties that "constitutional or legal opinion may be sought on the doubts that these students have with respect to BHU Act".
