Petition Seeks Kolkata University's Apology To Professor Forced To Quit Over Swimsuit Pics On Instagram

An alumnus of Kolkata's prestigious St Xavier's University has started an online petition in support of a professor who was forced to quit over swimsuit photos on her Instagram page. In his petition on change.org, Gaurav Banerjee has relayed incidents of constant "moral policing" at the campus while demanding an "unconditional apology" from the university. The petition has also sought disciplinary action against the Vice-Chancellor of the university. The professor had said that photos were posted by her on Instagram last year, before she joined the institute.

Also Read | Kolkata Professor Forced To Quit Allegedly Over Swimsuit Pic On Instagram

The issue has generated an intense debate on social media about invasion of the professor's privacy, which the change.org petition has also highlighted. It said that the professor's profile was private, adding that the personal Instagram handle of any individual "has no link with the prestige of the university".

The petition also says that every individual has the right to express themselves as they deem fit in their personal space, and as long as it doesn't explicitly involve the said university or guardian. "No authority figure has the right to morally castigate a person for such causes."

"These are the basic tenets of education which any university should be instilling in their students, and such an incident points to a an otherwise aspirational University becoming a hotbed for moral policing as opposed to being a safe and progressive environment for teachers and students alike," the petition further said.

Since being launched three days ago, the petition has been signed more than 10,000 times.

The issue surfaced after the father of an undergraduate student said in his complaint to the university that he was "appalled" after finding his son looking at the photo. Reports say the university has asked the professor to pay Rs 99 crore for damaging their reputation.

The professor, meanwhile, decided to file a petition with the Calcutta High Court against her sacking by the university, according to a report in The Indian Express. She said a "kangaroo court" was held, where she was "intimidated, bullied and taunted with sexually coloured remarks" and "objectionable insinuations" without any provocation or justification, the report further said.