PATNA: A university professor in Bihar was assaulted by an angry mob on Friday for his controversial post on Facebook showing the late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in poor light.
Vajpayee died after prolonged illness on Thursday and his last rites were held on Friday.
Sanjay Kumar, who teaches social science in the newly-established Mahatma Gandhi Central University at Motihari town, had reportedly commented on a friend’s post that claimed Vajpayee was not a Nehruvian socialist but a staunch loyalist of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) who always pushed the right-wing organisation’s agenda.
The comments coming close on the heels of BJP leader’s cremation infuriated the right wing activists who threatened the professor with dire consequences before attacking him.
On Friday afternoon while Kumar was teaching his students in his rented room, a group of 20-25 attackers dragged him out in the street after locking his students in a room.
The angry mob stripped him naked and assaulted him on the streets, leaving him seriously wounded. The mob also doused him with petrol and tried to set him on fire but somehow he managed to save himself.
The professor was rushed to a local hospital in a critical from where he was shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna for better treatment.
The victim has registered a case against 12 people who were involved in the attack.
“No one has to right to take law into their own hands. The matter is being investigated and action will be taken against the suspects after investigation,” district superintendent of police Upendra Kumar Sharma told the local media on Saturday.
The victim alleged he was targeted more for speaking against the university vice-chancellor than commenting on Vajpayee.
“The people who attacked me were all backed by the VC of the university. I also received a threat call from the attackers, who warned me not to protest against the VC,” the victim told ANI.
The main opposition, Rashtriya Janata Dal reacted sharply to the attack on the university professor and questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his failure to maintain law and order in the state.
