Manipal University professor barred from teaching till inquiry concludes

UDUPI: The Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT) has decided to ban the professor from taking classes after the latter allegedly asked the name of a Muslim student and linked him with Ajmal Kasab, the Pakistan-based lone terrorist captured alive for 26/11 Mumbai attacks and executed in 2012.

On Monday, a video was widely shared on social media, wherein a student and a professor were engaged in a war of words after the professor allegedly likened to the Muslim student to terrorist Ajmal Kasab.

In a video, the student can be seen arguing with his professor.

In the 45-second purported video, uploaded by several users on Twitter, the engineering student, can be seen confronting his teacher in front of his classmates. The professor had reportedly asked the student his name, and on hearing a Muslim name, said, “Oh, you are like Kasab!”

“26/11 was not funny. Being a Muslim in this country and facing all this every day is not funny, sir. You can’t joke about my religion, that too in such a derogatory manner. It’s not funny sir, it’s not”, the student shouted as the teacher tried to downplay his own remark.

“You are just like my son…” the professor said, trying to pacify the student. “Will you talk to your son like that? Will you call him by the name of a terrorist?” the student replied. When the professor said “no”, the student continued, “Then how can you call me like that in front of so many people? You are a professional, you are teaching. A sorry doesn’t change how you think.”

Meanwhile, the other students were witnessing the heated exchange silently. However, the said teacher was debarred and an apology letter was released by MIT.

The professor apologised to the student, but he would have none of it.

“The institute has already initiated an inquiry into the incident and the concerned staff has been debarred from classes till the inquiry is over. We would like everyone to know that the institute does not condone this kind of behaviour and this isolated incident will be dealt with in accordance with the laid down policy,” the university said in its statement.

“The institute prides itself with one of the biggest diversity on campus and is committed to uphold our constitutional values of treating everyone alike, irrespective of their caste, religion, region, gender etc.,” the statement read further.

The premier engineering institute’s decision came after the professor, present in the purported video, faced a heavy backlash across the internet. (ANI)