Professor Slapped by DUSU Leader for ‘Smirking’; Panel Set to Probe Incident

Delhi University students union (DUSU) joint secretary Deepika Jha was accused of slapping a teacher of Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar College on Thursday, in the view of Delhi police personnel, during an argument. The members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were accused of assaulting the same teacher.

One of the senior police officers also mentioned that a complaint has been filed in the case and they were looking into the case.

The accident occurred during a gathering of the disciplinary committee of the college where the teacher, Sujit Kumar is the convenor. The unrest was regarding a recent act of violence in which the ABVP members had supposedly attacked other students, according to one of the statements by the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF). Jha is also a member of ABVP which is said to have intruded into the meeting.

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There is a 32-second video of the supposed event recorded, presumably, by the CCTV camera in the room, and it shows the teacher sitting on the sofa, with Jha, engaged in a conversation with a number of unidentified individuals. At least four members of the Delhi Police can be seen as well. When the debate seems to escalate, Jha gets on his feet and seems to hit Kumar. One of the female cops then forcibly takes away Jha and sits her at a distance. In the meantime, when the teacher attempts to rise in his seat, he is shoved down into it by an unknown man.

was unable to check the video by itself.

senior police officer said, “We have received the complaint late evening. The video has been seen by investigators. They are obtaining CCTV footage now. The matter is being inquired into.”

The definite details of the situation preceding the incident were not obvious. The case that is being talked about at the meeting was reported to have occurred during a college event on Wednesday in which oath taking ceremony of the student college council was underway.

A DU professor, on the condition of anonymity, said, “A student from National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) had won the president post in the college student council and two other posts had been won by ABVP. The NSUI student had allegedly been assaulted by ABVP members and he had lodged a complaint against them.”

to HT, Jha, who was also confessed that she had slapped the teacher, claimed that he had verbally abused her and he was supposedly staring at her and smirking.

“Day before yesterday, we were called for the oath taking ceremony of the student council. During that, a NSUI person was on stage but he was not a student representative so some ABVP students put in a simple complaint to the principal. However, there was an incident of threatening with one of the complainants. That is why we were there to speak to the concerned professor.”

“However, during the interaction, when I told him that I saw him smoking in public and that does not leave a good impression on students, he verbally abused me. He had also been staring at me and smirking, even after I had told him that I was not comfortable. When he verbally abused me, I slapped him which I should not have done,” she added.

Kumar, a college professor of commerce challenged the story of Jha and further claimed that the ABVP representatives had stormed into the meeting on Thursday without invitation.

There was an oath taking ceremony of the college student council on Wednesday. Our college students do not vote for DUSU but have a college student council. Three posts on that council were unopposed and occupied by ABVP members. A student from NSUI had won the president post,” he said.

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further added, “About a month ago, this same NSUI kid was beaten up by ABVP members because he wanted to contest for the post. We got a video of the same and I suspended three students affiliated to ABVP till September 30. Now, on Wednesday, during the event, one of the students who had been suspended beat up the NSUI student in front of me and other committee members.”

“Now on Thursday, we were having a meeting and also a Diwali celebration and lunch when about 50-60 ABVP students barged into the college uninvited and were trying to create a ruckus. I called the police but DUSU president Aryan Maan and DUSU joint secretary Deepika Jha got inside the principal office and forced me to write a resignation from the convenor post, which I did because I did not want to get beaten up. They further asked the principal to suspend me from the post saying that I had smoked outside the college campus. Finally, despite the police asking Jha to not sit beside me, she did and finally slapped me while arguing, as seen in the video,” he added.

VC Yogesh Singh failed to respond to the request of comments made by HT.

Meanwhile,the Delhi University Teachers Association (DUTA) have sent a letter to the university vice chancellor asking him to take action in the case.

“We are deeply shocked to learn that a senior teacher at B.R. Ambedkar College has been slapped and assaulted by a group of students inside the college premises, while he was performing his duty. The violence in any form is completely unacceptable in a democratic institution. This is an assault on the dignity of a teacher. We strongly condemn this incident. Such an aggression and assault against a teacher inside the college building creates a sense of fear and insecurity among the University community, especially the teaching fraternity,” the letter said.

The letter further added, “We, therefore, request you to enquire into this whole incident and take immediate and exemplary action against the students involved in this act of violence. The stringent action will send a clear message against indiscipline and lawlessness.”

In a statement, NSUI also demanded action, saying, “Despite clear CCTV footage capturing the incident, no action has yet been taken against the culprits. Such behaviour inside university campus — especially directed towards a senior professor — is a disgrace to the academic community and exposes the culture of intimidation being promoted by ABVP within educational institutes.”

Later,in its official response to the incident, which it released later, Jha also stated that Kumar was drunk and apologised to the incident.Kumar “had once again come to the college under the influence of alcohol. In that moment of distress, I reacted impulsively, for which I sincerely express regret,” she added.

According to Rudrashish Chakraborty, the associate professor at Kirori Mal College, it said,“What happened in Bhim Rao Ambedkar College today was shocking but hardly surprising: it is part of a series of lumpen acts by ABVP not only in DU but across the country! And this is possible only because of the active patronage of the DU administration: who has given a free hand to ABVP to run riot across the University!”

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