RSS Affiliate Samskrita Bharati Urges BHU's Muslim Sanskrit Teacher to Fearlessly Make His Contributions

New Delhi: An affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Samskrita Bharati, on Friday came out in support of Feroze Khan, an assistant professor at Banaras Hindu University (BHU)'s Sanskrit department, whose appointment was opposed by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), saying he was trained by them and asked what is wrong with a Muslim teaching Sanskrit literature.

RSS' student wing ABVP were demonstrating against Khan's appointment in the Sanskrit department. Although the BHU authorities have backed him, Khan has been unable to take classes. The protesters said that only a Hindu can teach Sanskrit at the university.

Underlining that Samskrita Bharati is working to teach Sanskrit language across the world and is also active in Arab countries, the organisation said its volunteers sing a song "Pathyem Samskritam Jagati Sarva Maanavaan' (We will teach Sanskrit to every human being of the world).

"Dr Firoze Khan is one of the thousands of people who were trained by us," it said.

Urging students to not protest against his appointment, the Samskrita Bharati, in a statement, posed, "What is wrong with a Muslim teaching literature?". It also requested Feroze Khan to "fearlessly make his contributions at the university."

The protesting students ended their 'dharna' on Friday. The university had announced on Thursday that classes at the department would resume, indicating that the stir against the appointment of assistant professor Feroze Khan had ended.