Visva-Bharati suspends professor for making derogatory remarks against colleague

Authorities of Visva-Bharati haveissued a suspension notice to economics professor SudiptoBhattacharya for allegedly making derogatory remarks andcirculating a complaint against a colleague.The decision was taken at an executive council meetingof the varsity late on Thursday.The Visva-Bharati executive council...

Authorities of Visva-Bharati haveissued a suspension notice to economics professor SudiptoBhattacharya for allegedly making derogatory remarks andcirculating a complaint against a colleague.

The decision was taken at an executive council meetingof the varsity late on Thursday.

''The Visva-Bharati executive council... decided thatdisciplinary proceedings is to be initiated followingapplicable rules against Prof Sudipta Bhattacharya and alsodecided to place him under suspension with immediateeffect...,'' the notice said.

The move came after the suspended professor'scolleague had lodged a written complaint to the varsityagainst Bhattacharya. ''An earlier academic council meetingtook a strong exception to this act of the senior facultymember (Bhattacharya),'' a notification by the premier centraluniversity said on Thursday.

Bhattacharya, who is also the president of Visva-Bharati University Faculty Association, had recently sharedallegations about ''irregularities'' in the appointment of a'bhavana' head on a WhatsApp group.

He had even forwarded the accusations in an e-mail toPrime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind.

''It is further conveyed that during the period thatthis order shall remain in force, the headquarters of ProfBhattacharya will be Santiniketan and that he will not leavethe headquarters without obtaining the prior writtenpermission of the undersigned,'' the suspension notice signedby the acting registrar added.

Visva-Bharati authorities could not be contacted forcomments.