Lucknow University students accuse professor of 'misconduct'

Lucknow: A day after a Lucknow University professor was assaulted by a student on the campus, a group of students gave a written complaint of "misconduct" against the professor to the university administration on Thursday. Around 50 students met Vice Chancellor Alok Kumar Rai and handed him the complaint.

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In the complaint, the students alleged that professor Ravikant Chandan have insulted Hindu gods on several occasions during the class and demanded his removal from the university. University officials said they are looking into the complaint and will take suitable action.

"The contents of the complaint will be looked into before initiating any action," said Lucknow University spokesperson Durgesh Shrivastav. The professor was allegedly assaulted by a student inside the campus on Wednesday, days after he triggered a row with his remarks on the Kashi Vishwanath temple.

The incident occurred around 1 pm outside the proctor's office. "Karthik Pandey, a student leader, hurled abuses and casteist slurs at me and hit me," Chandan, who is a professor in the university's Hindi department, said.

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Two guards accompanying the professor overpowered the student and handed him over to police. The accused student was suspended from the university and a committee was formed to investigate the matter. Police have lodged a complaint and initiated investigation. The Lucknow University Teachers' Association (LUTA) has criticised the attack on the professor and sought action from the university administration to prevent such incidents.