AMU professor suspended for 'rape' in Hindu myths comment

An Aligarh Muslim University professor on Wednesday was suspended after mentioning rape in Hindu mythology during a forensic science class, provoking accusations of hurting religious sentiments.

Aligarh: Aligarh Muslim University on Wednesday suspended a professor who referred to examples of rape in Hindu mythology during a forensic science class, provoking accusations of hurting religious sentiments. According to AMU officials, Dr Jitendra Kumar, an assistant professor at AMU's Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, made references to rape in mythology while conducting a class on medical jurisprudence.

He was served a show-cause notice asking him to explain within 24 hours why disciplinary action should not be taken against him. The university authorities also set up a two-member probe committee, but he was suspended pending the outcome of the inquiry, an official said. This was because of the seriousness of the issue and preliminary evidence that indicated misconduct, the official said.

After getting the notice, the professor apologised. In a letter to AMU vice-chancellor Tariq Mansoor on Wednesday, Kumar said, "My intention was not to hurt religious sentiments of any particular religion and it was done only to highlight that rape has been a part of our society for long". He said it was an inadvertent mistake and assured that no such incident will occur in the future.

His lecture, which included a slide show, led to complaints that he had hurt the religious sentiments of students and staff members. A controversy erupted after someone posted a video clip of the lecture on social media. The AMU authorities acted after reporters approached them for comment on Wednesday. The AMU authorities initially issued a show-cause notice on the recommendation of the dean of the faculty of medicine, Prof Rakesh Bhargava.

"You deliberately and maliciously played a slide in the PowerPoint (presentation) in the classroom under the heading Rape, so as to outrage the religious feelings of a particular community," the notice from AMU Registrar Abdul Hamid said, warning him of possible disciplinary action. Bajrang Dal convener Gaurav Sharma has reacted to the development "Jihadis and leftists of anti-India mindset present in Aligarh Muslim University are conspiring to create an atmosphere of anarchy in the country," he said.