Bhopal: The Vikram University in Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh has constituted a committee to probe charges of propagating Islam levelled against a professor of minority community in the institute. The university vice-chancellor Akhilesh Kumar Pandey on Monday said that he has received complaints against guest professor Anis Shiekh of Institute of Pharmacy alleging that he propagated Islam in a WhatsApp group which also has members belonging to Hindu community. Besides, the professor was also accused of discriminating against students in the valuation of exam papers on the basis of religion, the vice-chancellor said. The probe panel will submit its report within 15 days, he said. Mr Sheikh has been directed not to come to the department till the probe is complete, the vice-chancellor said. Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest against the professor in the university on Friday demanding a probe into the matter. ABVP’s Ujjain Mahanagar secretary Adarsh Choudhary said that complaints were received for a long time alleging that the professor was favouring students of a particular community in exams, while harassing students of Hindu community. He alleged that materials relating to various Islamic festivals were shared in the WhatsApp group in which students belonging to Hindu community were also members. The ABVP activist said that his organisation has received a screenshot related to a post on the institute’s WhatsApp group about propagating Islam, a chat related to Roza, Ramzan and benefits of performing namaz. The professor of Chemistry however denied the charges, calling it baseless. He said that he has nothing to do with the WhatsApp group and the chat shared on it. “It is the WhatsApp group of the department and the Head of the Department (HOD) is its admin. The chat in question was a year old and posted by a student. I have nothing to do with the chat”, he said. The professor said that the HOD had later asked the students concerned not to post such chats. He said that he would present his case before the probe panel. He alleged his victimisation for not yielding to pressure by some students, who did not attend his lectures, to give them 80-85 percent marks.
