"I commit the crime of teaching," said the professor who asked protesters to stop shouting near classroom
A professor at the PG College in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur ran after protesting students trying to touch their feet. The video, which has gone viral, shows students trying to dodge the professor in the college corridor.
On Thursday, protesters and workers of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, led by their district president Pawan Verma, were protesting the reported delay in their 4th semester B.Sc results. As they shouted slogans outside a classroom, Professor Dinesh Gupta, who was teaching, tried to stop them. He told the protesters not to raise slogans as it was disturbing him. The ABVP protesters and workers allegedly called him "anti-national" and threatened him with a police case, said students.
Professor Gupta started touching the feet of the protesters, students told NDTV. As some of the protesters backed off the professor was heard saying, "Mai parhaane ka apraadh karta hun (I commit the crime of teaching)".
"Students are alleging that the professor stopped them from raising "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogan. However, nothing like that happened. He just stopped them from raising slogans. They even demanded an apology from him," said Ravindra Soni, the college principal.
Later Professor Gupta said, "I was taking classes, on a serious topic. I told them there are 100 students in my class, do not shout. On the one hand you say we do not take classes and when we take classes you disrupt them. There is no question of saying anything about the chants of "Bharat Mata ki Jai". I am also patriotic and from the same motherland. But you will declare anything at any time, this is not done," said the professor, who has gone on a three-day leave. Sources say, he is upset and wants the issue sorted out before coming back.