New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia has issued as how-cause notice to a professor, barely a week before his retirement, for making "derogatory remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi" in a letter sent to the Vice Chancellor last December.
Mohammad Sultan Bhatt was against inviting Modi for the annual convocation and had written to the VC communicating the decision of the Jamia Teachers' Association in this regard in December last year.
However, he received the notice three months after writing the letter and eight days before retirement. He superannuated on March 31.
The notice from Registrar Shahid Ashraf accused Bhatt of "convening a meeting of extended executive council of Jamia Teachers' Association and making denigrating remarks against the Prime Minister."
"You are required to explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against you for indulging in misconduct which caused serious damage to interest, reputation and secular image of the university," the notice read.
For his part, Bhatt said "I don't know what made the university to be wide awake on the issue three months later. It has been deliberately done prior to my retirement". Jamia spokesperson Mukesh Ranjan said "we have received his response and the matter is closed".
The professor, however, maintained he has no information about the closure.
The varsity had in November last extended an invite to Modi, which triggered a controversy as a number of alumni demanded withdrawal of the invitation in view of the comments made by Modi against the varsity in 2008.
While the university had rejected the demand to withdraw the invite, the Prime Minister had expressed his inability to preside over the event due to time constraint.
