Jodhpur University Professor Suspended Over 'Anti-National' Talks At Conference Gets Court Relief

Jaipur: A professor of the Jai Narayan Vyas University, Jodhpur, who was nearly sacked after activists of the BJP-linked student group ABVP protested against a seminar she had organised at the University, got some relief from the Rajasthan High court. The court has put a freeze on the suspension of Professor Rajshree Ranawat.

Dr Ranawat, a professor of English, came under fire after she organised a seminar at the university, titled "History Reconstructed through Literature". At the seminar, held in the first week of February, some controversial remarks were allegedly made by Professor Nivedita Menon, one of the participants.

The ABVP, who by their own admission, were not quite sure what Nivedita Menon said, still went ahead and held protests. President of the ABVP Kunal Singh Bhati, who never attended the seminar, objected to Ms Menon's remarks based on newspaper reports that said she spoke against Kashmir and lowered the dignity of the Indian Army and Bharat Mata.

Ms Menon, however issued a statement that her remarks were taken out of context and misreported by media.

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The university was closed for a day after protests by the ABVP, who filed a police case against Dr Menon and also demanded action against the organisers of the seminar. The university's syndicate - highest governing body of the university- suspended Dr Ranawat soon after the controversy.

"We have suspended her with immediate effect, now we will terminate her services. The syndicate has the right to do this and the syndicate will decide," said Dr RP Singh, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, told NDTV.

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Dr Ranawat took her fight for justice to the Rajasthan High court, challenging her suspension. On Monday, a single bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta put a freeze on her suspension.

The bench expressed surprise that the university had suspended a teacher simply as a particular person had been invited to speak at a seminar. It issued notices to all the respondents, Vice Chancellor RP Singh, the Registrar and the University itself and posted the matter for further hearing on April 7.