Bangalore University teachers slam Ram Sene attacks

The Bangalore University Teacher’s Council (BUTC) on Monday staged a protest at the Jnanabharthi campus against the recent attack on Prof BR Niranjan, director, distance education, Bangalore University.

The classes in the morning were suspended and close to 80-85 teachers from over 40 departments called for a bandh and demanded that the government take appropriate action against those who carried out the attack.

“It was not a total bandh as we did not disrupt any of the classes conducting examinations. We did so to condemn the Sri Ram Sene chief’s heinous act. While the government has already made arrests, we want that severe punishment be meted out to the guilty,” said Munirajappa, president of BUTC.  The classes resumed after the protest, he added.

Munirajappa also stated that a memorandum was submitted to the state governor and chancellor of universities in Karnataka, HR Bhardwaj.

“Apart from asking for justice for Prof Niranjan, we also have demanded that distance education study centres involved in malpractices be disaffiliated immediately,” the BUTC chief said, adding that registrar Dr

BC Mylarappa, and vice-chancellor Dr Prabhu Dev too have also been provided copies of the memorandum. Security was another issue raised by the BUTC.

They demanded that they be provided security “similar to the kind present at the Indian Institute of Science” and protection of teachers from assaults.