Mayawati blames govt for BHU controversy

BSP president Mayawati on Thursday blamed the government for the controversy at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) over the appointment of a Muslim scholar as Sanskrit teacher, and said education and politics of religion or caste cannot be linked. "The indecisive attitude of the government/administration is giving unnecessary importance to the controversy over appointment of Ph.D scholar Firoze Khan as teacher of Sanskrit in the BHU Central University. The controversy arising out of some people linking education with the extreme politics of religion/caste cannot be justified," Mayawati tweeted.

In another tweet, she said, "Appointment of a highly suitable Muslim Sanskrit scholar by BHU as its teacher will be considered as giving proper patronage to talent and no one should be allowed to do anything which is demoralising in this regard. It would be better if the government pays proper attention to this immediately." A section of students has been opposing appointment of Khan as an assistant professor in the Sanskrit literature department and held protest demonstration against it in Varanasi.

The university, however, has backed the appointment, saying it is committed to provide equal opportunities to everyone irrespective of religion, caste, community or gender. In a statement, the BHU said the administration had made it clear the selection committee unanimously recommended the selection of the said candidate on the basis of prescribed guidelines of the University Grants Commission and the central government.