DU professor booked over Durga post on FB

NEWDELHI: An assistant professor of a Delhi University college has been booked for allegedly insulting Goddess Durga in a post on Facebook. BJP-affiliated National Democratic Teachers Front on Saturday filed the police complaint against Kedar Kumar Mandal of Dyal College.

MANDAL REMOVED THE POST AFTER THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC TEACHERS FRONT (NDTF) FILED A POLICE COMPLAINT AGAINST HIM.

NEWDELHI: The Delhi Police have begun a probe against a Delhi University teacher for allegedly insulting Hindu goddess D ur gain a Facebook post.

Kedal Kumar Mandal, an assistant professor with Dyal Singh College, made the alleged derogatory remarks in a post on Friday. His post comes during the nine-day Navratri festival, celebrated to hon ur the goddess. The festival started on September 21.

Man dal removed the post after the National Democratic Teachers Front (NDTF) filed a police complaint against him.

“During the festival season, the professor used a kind of description of Goddess Durga that hurts the sentiments of crores of Indians. This is just a cheap publicity stunt. We felt that we had to take a stand and not only oppose the person, but also such mindset,” said assistant profes- sor, Rasal Singh, member of the ND T Fa nd their representative to the academic council of DU.

“We will summon him to join investigation. A case has been registered. No one has been arrested yet ,” a police officer told Hindustan Times on Sunday.

HT tried to reach Mandal for his comments but his cellphone was switched off.

Police have registered a case against Man dal for hurting religious sentiments( Section 295 A of the Indian Pen al Code) and promoting enmity between different groups on basis of religion (Section 153A). If convicted, Mandal could face up to five years behind bars.

A police officer said they would write to Facebook to access Mandal’s post, which was last updated at 6.42pm on Friday.

Dyal Singh College’s ABVP unit condemned Mandal’s post and demanded his suspension, asking students to boycott his classes. “Mandal has provoked sentiments during a festival time of Hindu— Navratri,” the RSS-af- filiated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad said in a statement.

In their complaint at Lodhi Colony police station, NDTF president and general secretary accused Mandal of spreading hatred and disharmony.

“….Not only in India but goddess Durga is being celebrated across theworld at this time. It is not difficult to fathom what could be the consequences of such a post,” they said.