ABVP Activists Force K’taka Prof to Kneel for Anti-BJP FB Post

Sandeep Wathar teaches Civil Engineering at Vachana Pitamaha Dr P G Halakatti College of Engineering & Technology.

Photo used for representation.

(Photo: iStock)

Activists of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the BJP forced a professor at an engineering college in Karnataka to kneel and apologise over a Facebook post in which the latter allegedly criticised the central government for creating Indo-Pakistan tensions.

According to an Indian Express reported on 2 March, the professor of Civil Engineering at Vachana Pitamaha Dr P G Halakatti College of Engineering and Technology, Sandeep Wathar also hailed Pakistan Prime Imran Khan in the Facebook post for his stand during the “escalating” tension between the neighbours.

“Who sounds more intelligent in all this? You…bhakts. You will (be) the reason for destruction of millions of lives if this tension escalates. BJP…absolutely zero shame,” Wathar wrote in one of the Facebook posts.

Speaking to The Indian Express, college principal Prof VP Huggi said that the college will look into the matter after the college reopens on 5 March. “The professor has switched off his phone and is unreachable," Huggi added.

An ABVP activist told The Hindu that they’re waiting for Home Minister MB Patil, who heads the institution, to take action against the lecturer for making "anti-India statements."

"We will wait for him to act and if nothing happens, we will file a complaint,” he said.

(With inputs from The Indian Express and The Hindu)