Jadavpur University will seek an explanation from a teacher of international relations on whether he had denigrated B.R. Ambedkar and the Constitution.
JU vice-chancellor said this on Saturday after a student of the department accused the associate professor of the offences.
"The allegations that have been mailed to me are grave. So we have decided to seek an explanation from the teacher. JU believes in upholding the Constitution. Therefore, when allegations are levelled about an attack on the Constitution, we have to find out what exactly happened," VC Chiranjib Bhattacharjee said.
Bhattacharjee said that the head of the department had been asked to submit a report within a week.
"The student has also accused the teacher of not taking classes during the entire semester," the VC said.
The undergraduate student alleged on Thursday that she had sought the teacher's suggestions on what she should study on the Constitution from the paper titled Indian Constitution. The teacher allegedly told her over the phone to "tear apart" the Constitution and "throw it into the water".
The student in her written complaint said the teacher told her over a WhatsApp call: "What’s the use of studying Ambedkar and his constitutional debates? These do not work these days, but who will listen to me!”
Calls and text messages to the teacher went unanswered on Saturday.
The teacher had told Metro on Friday that there had been "some misunderstanding” and that “it will be sorted out".
"Had I skipped classes, the university would not have spared me. The allegation is incorrect," he said when asked about skipping classes.
"We do not know what exactly happened and the context. I have received an allegation from a student. I am awaiting an explanation from the teacher and a report from the departmental head," the VC told Metro.
