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What was meant to be a quiet academic discussion at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University turned into a scene of chaos and protest this week. A special lecture on the "Science and Philosophy of Research Methodology" at the university's Physics department was forcefully shut down by student activists almost as soon as it began.
The guest speaker for the event was Professor Vivek Kumar, an associate professor from IIT-Kanpur. However, just moments after he took the stage to begin his talk, the auditorium erupted with slogans and shouting.
The protest was led by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a prominent student organization. They raised strong objections to Professor Kumar's presence, accusing him of having made offensive and "anti-Sanatan" remarks in the past. The students alleged that the professor had previously made derogatory comments about Hindu deities Ram and Sita, and that inviting him to speak at a university named after Deen Dayal Upadhyaya was an insult to the institution's values.
As the professor prepared to speak, a group of ABVP members stood up and began chanting slogans like "Jai Shri Ram" and "Vande Mataram." They moved towards the stage, surrounding the guest and effectively bringing the lecture to a halt before it could even get started.
University officials, including the Dean of the Science Faculty, Professor Vinay Kumar Singh, tried to intervene and reason with the protesting students. They attempted to calm the situation and allow the academic program to continue, but their efforts were unsuccessful. The atmosphere remained too tense and charged for the lecture to proceed.
Ultimately, the event had to be cancelled. Professor Kumar, unable to deliver his planned address, left the premises.
Following the disruption, the ABVP members submitted a formal memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor. In it, they demanded a full inquiry into why the professor was invited despite his alleged past comments and called for strict action against the event's organizers. The incident has left the campus community debating the lines between academic freedom, student activism, and the process for vetting guest speakers.
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