A month after the communal riots in Dhule, VHP, Bajrang Dal activists beat up a Dalit professor there on Wednesday for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. The incident took place inside the premises of the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Social Work. A few weeks ago a number of students submitted a written complaint against Professor Pramod Bhumbe to the principal of the college for allegedly making derogatory remarks about Lord Ram. While the Hindu organisations called for the professor’s expulsion, the administration asked him to submit a written explanation. “We followed the enquiry process. We, as management of the college, apologised to the students on [the] professor’s behalf. The concerned professor also extended an unconditional apology to the students. We even performed a puja in the village Ram temple and made peace,” Prof. R.S. Mahajan, the principal, told The Hindu .
In spite of the apology, a group came to the college looking for the professor. “Around six to seven activists, in spite of our entreaties went in search of Bhumbe, who was sitting in the library. They dragged him out, beat him up and threw him down from the staircase,” Prof. Mahajan said. According to him, the group was led by Senate members of the North Maharashtra University (NMU).
Following the incident, a complaint was lodged at the Dhule taluka police station. Ram Somwanshi of the station told The Hindu that six people had been arrested and booked under several sections of IPC and under sections of The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Meanwhile, the college authorities will write to the Vice-Chancellor of the NMU, asking him to derecognise the Senate members for instigating violence.
