Varanasi, November 25: Videos of students shouting "RSS Murdabad" at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) surfaced on social media on Monday after the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh supported the appointment of Professor Feroz Khan as a faculty member of the Sanskrit department. Videos showed students of the Sanskrit Vidya Dharm Vigyan (SVDV) department shouting slogans against the RSS, ideological backbone of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BHU Vice Chancellor Backs Feroz Khan, The Muslim Professor Appointed For Teaching Sanskrit, Despite ABVP Protest.

"Dharm ke naam pe thekedaari nahi chalegi, Hindutva ke naam pe thekedari nahi chalegi...RSS Murdabad," agitating BHU students were heard saying in one of the videos. On November 22, Samskrita Bharati, an affiliate the RSS, backed assistant professor Feroz Khan even as members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) continued their protest against his appointment. The ABVP is the students' wing of the BJP. Banaras Hindu University Murder Case: Three Student Held for Assassinating Gaurav Singh.

Samiksha Bharti, in its statement, requested Khan to "fearlessly make his contributions at the university". The BHU authorities have also come out in support of Khan, saying they do not discriminate on the grounds of caste, class, gender and religion. On last Friday, protesting students withdrew their sit-in protest but boycotted classes. BHU Vice-Chancellor Rakesh Bhatnagar, who was part of the three-member selection panel which appointed Khan, has backed his candidature.

A group of saints in Varanasi have also condemned the protests against Khan and said that the professor and his family have been running a cow shelter and have deep faith in the Hindu culture. According to a report, Khan's father Ramzan Khan a.k.a Munna Master is a 'Gau Sevak' who runs a cow shelter in Bagru, about 35 kilometres from Jaipur in Rajasthan. The family follows the 'Sanatan dharma' way of life and is a firm believer in astrology.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 25, 2019 03:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).