A professor at Dr PG Halakatti College of Engineering and Technology in Karnataka’s Vijaypura district was forced to kneel and apologise to activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Saturday, for a Facebook post that allegedly criticised the Centre for creating war hysteria following the Indian Air Force strikes in Pakistan’s Balakot. Professor Sandeep Wathar also allegedly praised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, The Indian Express reported on Sunday.
“Who sounds more intelligent in all this?” Wathar had said regarding India-Pakistan tensions following the Balakot strike and the intrusion by Pakistani jets into India. “You…bhakts. You will [be] the reason for destruction of millions of lives if this tension escalates. BJP…absolutely zero shame.”
The BJP and ABVP activists have demanded that Wathar be suspended. BJP spokesperson Vivek Reddy claimed that the posts were an attempt to break the country’s unity and praise an enemy country. The professor has since deleted the Facebook posts.
Wathar was made to kneel and apologise. “I won’t repeat it in future, forgive me for my Facebook post,” he is heard saying in a viral video.
The institution is run by Bijapur Lingayat Development Education Society, which is owned by Congress leader and Karnataka minister MB Patil.
“The professor has switched off his phone and is unreachable,” college principal VP Huggi said. “We will issue orders on Tuesday.”
Superintendent of Police Prakash Nikam said the protestors have not lodged a complaint with the police, The New Indian Express reported. “I have directed the deputy superintendent of police to investigate the incident and submit a report,” he added.
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