Click to play videoNew Delhi: Even as the issue of the attack by VHP on artistic freedom at Vadodara's MS University remains unresolved, it is the dean of the arts faculty of the university -- Shivaji K Panikkar -- who is facing the music.
Pannikar, who was suspended for lending support to the student who was arrested over an alleged obscene painting, was attacked by unidentified persons in Ahmedabad on Friday.
He and his driver were roughed up by a group of 20 people outside the gates of St Xavier's High School (Loyola Hall) in Navrangpura.
"I had come from Vadodara to inaugurate an exhibition at St Xavier's school. As we neared the venue, I saw a group of persons standing outside the gate of the school. As soon as we reached the gate, some members of the group peeped into the car and identified me by name," Pannikar was quoted by news agency PTI as saying.
The suspended dean claims that the group of people threatened to kill him and even smashed a window of his car. He added that the people were armed with sticks and stones and kept shouting slogans like "Bharat Mata Ki Jai", "Kill Panikkar" and "Go Back Panikkar".
The dean says that he now fears for his life. Meanwhile, both the BJP and VHP denied having any involvement in the attack on Panikkar.
The BJP's state youth wing president Jitu Vaghani said he was not aware of any such incident and that his organisation was not involved in it.
Pannikar had shot to the limelight in May this year when a controversial art exhibition in his university was vandalised by right wing VHP activists for featuring controversial pictures of gods and goddesses and hurting religious sentiments.
He was suspended from the post of dean in MSU after he refused to follow the orders of Vice-Chancellor M S Soni to close the controversial art exhibition that was attacked.
Panikkar on his part had stood up to the decision and approached the University Grants Commission for support, saying that the university management bowed down to pressure from the Hindutva brigade.
The VHP office here too denied having a hand in the incident.
(With inputs from PTI)
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
