BHU students finally end protests – with warning

Varanasi, Nov 22 (IANS) BHU students protesting against the appointment of a Muslim professor in the Sanskrit department, called off their dharna on Friday evening.

The students, however, said that they will not attend classes or take examinations.

"We have given ten days’ time to the BHU administration to accept our demands which include shifting Professor Feroz Khan to another faculty. If our demands are not fulfilled, we will revive our agitation on a larger scale," warned Shubham Tiwari, one of the protestors.

Students at the Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan (SVDV) of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) had been protesting against appointment of Dr Feroz Khan as an Assistant Professor on the grounds that he would not be able to teach ‘karam kand’ (rituals) since he was a non-Hindu.

The BHU administration had maintained all along that Khan’s appointment was according to rules set by University Grants Commission (UGC) and there was no question of removing him.

The issue had turned into a major controversy with political leaders and even seers taking sides on the issue.