Objectionable comments on Shivling: FIR lodged against DU's Hindu College professor

After a professor was assaulted at Lucknow University by a student over his comments on the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, a similar incident cropped up at Delhi University. When contacted by police after an FIR had been filed in his name, an Associate Professor at Delhi University revealed that he was constantly facing death threats and also being attacked on social media. A professor of History at Hindu College of DU, Ratan Lal, has also sought protection from the government.

The FIR against him was lodged by a lawyer, Vineet Jindal, who has alleged that his social media post on the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex was "derogatory, instigating and provocating". The post had been put up on Tuesday, May 17, and the FIR was filed the same night. The police on Wednesday, May 18, said, "A case under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295A (deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered" against Ratan Lal.

On the other hand, the professor has said, "In India, if you speak about anything, someone or the other's sentiment will be hurt. So this is nothing new. I am a historian and have made several observations. As I wrote them down, I have used very guarded language in my post and still this. I will defend myself," as reported by PTI.