Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Motihari. which runs from a portion Zila School building, closed sine die after assault of a teacher. (File)
At a time when Mahatma Gandhi Central University (MGCU) in Motihari remains closed following the assault on an assistant professor after his Facebook posts critical of former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Bihar’s Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday accused the faculty member of exaggerating about injuries and trying to “evoke sympathy of media and left liberals”.
He accused the media of playing down the “highly offensive anti-Atal Bihari Vajpayee” posts and highlighting the “superficial injuries” of Sanjay Kumar, an assistant professor at MGCU’s sociology department. Sushil Kumar Modi told The Indian Express, “On the day when the country was overwhelmed with emotion, paying tributes to the former PM Vajpayee, professor Sanjay Kumar posted three highly offensive posts, one of them calling Atalji a ‘fascist’.
Videograb of the assault. Twelve people have been booked
While leaders across the political spectrum were united in grief, there were few who criticised and condemned the post. But when the professor dramatised the assault on him, several left liberals came to his support and his original offence was almost overlooked. Though there are two cases against professor Kumar, one lodged by his colleague professor Dinesh Vyas under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and another by one Ranjit Yadav for causing breach of peace, they were underplayed.”
The BJP leader said he had tracked the assistant professor’s medical reports right from Sadar Hospital, Motihari, to Patna Medical College and Hospital. “While Sadar Hospital called the injuries superficial, PMCH reports also did not suggest any serious injuries.I doubt that he is admitted at AIIMS Delhi,” he said.
Sanjay Kumar’s colleague Mrityunjay Kumar, however, has said he has been kept in Isolation II of AIIMS emergency. The Deputy Chief Minister said that his party had nothing to do with the MGCU incident and added that he “regrets the way the MGCU teacher made a mountain out of a molehill to attract national attention”.
“As is evident from the FIR, BJP leaders are not involved in any way. But we are deeply hurt by what the professor wrote about Atalji on the day of his funeral,” he said.