Hyderabad: An associate professor of the Maulana Azad National Urdu University had his service temporarily terminated for “trying to disturb communal harmony”.
The associate professor is said to be Dr Mohammad Shujath Ali, deputy director of the Centre for Professional Development of Urdu Medium Teachers.
As per sources, Dr Ali, was suspended on May 12 on grounds of misbehaving with the authorities and influencing the media to write reports that had disturbed communal harmony inside and outside the campus.
A source said that the associate professor had influenced an Urdu newspaper to publish a report claiming that the Vice-Chancellor of the university had visited a Hindu place of worship in Tandoor and had performed a pooja.
After this report came to light, the university officials established an inquiry committee and found out that there were discrepancies in the report, and the information was provided to the newspaper by Dr Ali.
Subsequently, the university suspended him and a full-fledged inquiry was ordered with a retired district judge as head of the inquiry committee. The associate professor, meanwhile, has approached the High Court seeking injunction on the suspension.
However, the High Court has ordered the university to finish the inquiry within three months before any decision is taken. Till the inquiry report is out, the associate professor stays suspended.
