BHU professors call for removal of Feroze Khan, write to Kovind

Opposing the appointment of a non-Hindu in the Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyaan department, the faculty and former professors of BHU, in a letter to the President, have come out in support of students. They have called for the immediate annulment of the appointment in the Department and have requested to place the professor, in any other Sanskrit teaching department of the University.

New Delhi : In a letter to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, who is also a visitor to the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), the faculty and former professors of the university have come out in support of students opposing the appointment of Firoze Khan to the Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyaan department (faculty of theology).

They have called for the immediate annulment of the appointment of Feroze Khan to the Department and place him in any other Sanskrit teaching department of the University.

Pointing out that the appointment of Khan was done by violating the tradition and established norms of the University the letter says, "Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyaan department should not be tinkered with as the appointment of any non-Hindu is against the established norms and tradition of the department."

Speaking to reporters, 88-year-old former BHU Professor Rewa Prasad Dwivedi, who is also emeritus professor, SVDVS stated that the department would become irrelevant of such appeasement continues. " No one would come for further studies here if appointments of non-Hindus is made to the department."

The professors have pointed out that the department has been operating for over 100 years. "The appointment of any non-Hindu to the department would cause disruption to the religious, tradition, karma kanda education of students training to be acharyas and shartris of the religion," the submission adds.