Banaras Hindu University’s Sanskrit Professor Dr. Feroz Khan, who was hounded by protests over his position as the assistant professor in the Sanskrit Department, resigned from the Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyan (SVDV) on Monday, December 9, to join the Arts faculty of the university.
Acting Dean of the SVDV faculty, Professor Kaushalendra Pandey confirmed his resignation to NDTV. “Professor Khan has resigned from here. He has expressed an interest in joining another wing in the university that teaches Sanskrit. He gave his resignation yesterday (Monday) evening,” he said.
He also hoped for more opportunities for the professor in the future.
The university spokesperson Rajesh Kumar Singh said that any new appointment can take place only when the candidate resigns from his or her earlier institution so it can be ascertained that Khan had resigned from the SVDV to join the Arts faculty.
The faculty he has joined teaches only the Sanskrit language and not any religious scriptures and teachings that are written in the language.
“Of the nine appointment letters issued by BHU administration, two were issued to Khan,” Singh said.
Khan was selected for the post of assistant professor in the Sanskrit department of the Arts faculty and Ayurveda faculty.
The resignation was celebrated by the right-wing students in front of the VC’s office, where sweets were distributed.
Images from the @VCofficeBHU , where these ‘students’ have forced Prof #firozekhan to resign without taking a single class at the Sanskrit Vidya Dharma faculty . The univ admin admits the prof’s credentials are stellar, but is shifting him to a diff sanskrit wing at the Univ.. pic.twitter.com/pR2zKd7UsM
— Alok Pandey (@alok_pandey) December 10, 2019
With the resignation, the students have also called off the protests against Khan and wished him well for the future, stating that the fight was not personal in nature.
Feroz Khan’s appointment was strongly opposed by SVDV students a day after his joining on December 6. He was not able to take a single class.
While there were protests against his appointment, there were also students and faculty members who had come out in support of him.
Also Read: “A Muslim Can’t Teach Us”, BHU Students Oppose Appointment Of Professor In Sanskrit Dept
