DU Professor Ratan Lal arrested: Delhi University Assistant Professor Dr. Ratan Lal has been arrested for his remarks on the claims of Shivling at Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi. Let us tell you that recently a case has been registered against Dr. Ratan Lal on the basis of the complaint of Supreme lawyer Vineet Jindal.
According to the police, Associate Professor Ratan Lal has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, caste, place of birth, residence, language etc.) cyber police arrested Advocate Vineet Jindal said in his complaint that Ratan Lal had recently made a derogatory and provocative tweet on ‘Shivling’.
Professor Ratan Lal had made a post about Shivling found in Gyanvapi Masjid of Kashi. While sharing the photo of Shivling on Facebook, he wrote, “If this is Shiva Linga, then it seems that maybe Shiva was also circumcised.” After this post of the professor, he has been accused of hurting the religious sentiments of Hindus. Many people have also tagged the Twitter handle of Delhi Police demanding action.
His arrest is being condemned on social media and his immediate release is being demanded. Journalist Sumit Chauhan wrote in his tweet, “Sometime back Delhi Police has arrested Dr. Ratan Lal. Dr. Ratan Lal’s arrest is nothing but a conspiracy to scare the anti-voices. He should be released immediately.”
Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan tweeted, “Professor Ratan Lal has been a voice against communal politics. Yet he is arrested for spreading communal enmity, while the hate spreaders roam free!”
Senior journalist Dilip Mandal tweeted about his arrest and wrote, “Historian Professor Ratanlal has an opinion on the material found from the mosque. He is a well-known scholar. BJP government may disagree with him but arresting him by Delhi Police from Delhi University quarter at night is wrong.”
CPIML’s Central Politburo member Sucheta Dey wrote, “DU teacher and Dalit Rights activist Dr Ratan Lal has been arrested late night by @DelhiPolice for expressing his opinion over anti muslim communal politics over #Gyanvapi Masjid controversy. Modi govt is crossing every limits.”
Lal, associate professor at Delhi University’s Hindu College, had earlier said he had simply posed a question as a student of history. “People can be hurt by anything. Academic discourse cannot be sidelined on account of perceived hurt. I had asked a simple question to enquire if the so-called shivling was broken or cut. Mullahs and Pandits don’t need to comment on it. An art historian should answer this question,” said Lal.