Professor beaten up by ABVP activists in M.P.

Many such attacks by Parishad workers reported in the past

Bhopal_Agitated ABVP activists roughed up and smeared black paint on the face of an assistant professor Ashok Choudhary (L) on charges of molestation at Government Agriculture College Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh on wednesday. photo by A_M_Faruqui (09_03_2011)

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists dragged a professor out of a classroom of the Government College at Khandwa and beat him up with footwear on Wednesday.

Professor A.K. Chaudhary ran to the Principal's office, but the activists chased him and continued thrashing him.

“We received a complaint from Prof. Chaudhary today [Wednesday] afternoon that he was attacked by ABVP workers. We have registered the complaint and will be able to say anything conclusive only after investigating the case further,” R.K. Shivhare, Superintendent of Police, Khandwa, told

The Hindu .

The incident is not an isolated one, but part of several other minor and major attacks by the ABVP on professors or educational institutions in the past few years. ABVP activists were allegedly involved in a murderous attack on Prof. H.S. Sabharwal of Ujjain in 2006. All the six accused were acquitted by a Sessions Court in Nagpur after the trial was shifted there from Ujjain following the Supreme Court's intervention.

In July 2009, ABVP activists allegedly vandalised a private institute at Jabalpur to condemn the racial attacks on Indians in Australia. The college was said to be assisting Indian students in getting admission to Australian colleges.

Action sought against girl

PTI reports

from Khandwa:

The ABVP members blackened Prof. Chaudhary's face and thrashed him. A girl hit him with her sandals and kicked him. He was rescued by his colleagues.

College Dean P.P. Shastri told PTI that those who attacked the professor were not from his college. He also denied the ABVP's charge that Prof. Chaudhary was involved in molestation of some girls. On Mr. Shastri's complaint, the police have registered an FIR against three ABVP workers, along with 50-60 other unidentified activists.

In the morning, the ABVP workers met the Dean and asked him what action was taken against a girl who created a ruckus in the hostel. They alleged Prof. Chaudhary was having an illicit relationship with the girl. The Dean told them that a committee was formed to probe the matter. Not satisfied with his reply, they attacked Prof. Chaudhary.