Dr. Muralidhar Deshpande (an adjunct professor at PES University – Bengaluru) was accused of verbally attacking a student from the Muslim community in a lecture by using the word “terrorist” to refer to this particular student more than 13 times, according to reports made by multiple publications. This incident was recorded by another student in the class and has now become a major news story atp.

And rightly so! 

PES University Bengaluru Controversy: Professor Calls Student ‘Terrorist’ 13 Times in Classroom

Some eyewitnesses say that when Dr. Deshpande’s outburst happened, it was because he had been pushed to his breaking point when the student who he was verbally abusing asked for permission to be allowed to leave his class multiple times and then continued causing disturbances in class when Dr. Deshpande wasn’t looking. 

Other eyewitness accounts contradict this view by suggesting that Dr. Deshpande was not a very good teacher and that he became angry from the amount of disruptive noise and disorganization that occurred in his class prior to the yelling outburst where he used the word “terrorist” at least 13 times about this one student. 

What Happened in the Viral PES University Classroom Video: Full Incident Explained

Well, fact of the matter is that this incident has made a number of other people quite aggressive and there have now been many posts on social media making derogatory comments about Dr. Deshpande. One example is from a user on Reddit, who called Dr. Deshpande a “disrespect to vidya.” 

As a result of the incident, Dr. Muralidhar Deshpande has now been suspended from PES University and legal action.

In a video posted online, it looks like a professor was shouting at a student. When looking closely, the professor said:

• “Are you not ashamed of yourself?” 

• “No good thing, terrorist.” 

• “Sure, I will call you a terrorist.” 

These phrases were used when the teacher was um, angry and way too passive-aggressive. 

The complaint states the professor made more offensive remarks than these. He allegedly blamed the student for starting the war with Iran, said President Donald Trump would “come down to take you away” and told him he would “go to hell.” 

Logic left the chat and escaped it by leaps and bounds! 

This led to the impression that this was not just a one-time incident of inappropriate behaviour, but the professor had crossed over to use repetitive, targeted/unfair words to demean the student.

University Action: PES University Suspends Professor After Viral Video Controversy

Immediately after the video went up on social media, PES University acted upon it. They had the professor removed from the class after his behaviour continued to be offensive, despite the department chair speaking with him. 

The university also placed Dr. Deshpande on administrative leave, pending the outcome of an investigation. The administration’s statement also outlined the process of filing student complaints and said that a detailed investigation will take place before taking any further action.

Chancellor Jawahar Doreswamy stated the incident was, “not acceptable,” and there is “no intention to cover it up” at PES University. According to the university press release, the IT Department is responsible for verifying whether or not the recorded lectures were used; the University Disciplinary Committee will subsequently evaluate the use of the recordings and make determinations about further action.

No complaint had been made to either the university or the student at that time; however, the police began investigating the incident after the student’s video of the incident went viral.

The Girinagar Police has filed a case against Dr. Deshpande under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including Section 299, which prohibits any act that would cause (or are likely to cause) offence to any person based on their religion. A written notice of those charges is being prepared for the professor.

Both the university and the student have been contacted by law enforcement, and have been encouraged to submit formal complaints so that an investigation can move forward.

NSUI Complaint Against PES University Professor Over ‘Terrorist’ Slur Incident

In addition, the National Students’ Union of India has raised the profile of this matter further by filing a formal complaint against Dr. Deshpande. The complaint asserts that Dr. Deshpande’s additional comments were intended to humiliate a minority student and that such actions were “absolutely unacceptable.” 

The student union is calling on the university to suspend Dr. Deshpande immediately and required him to issue an apology.

Professor’s Apology After Viral PES University Incident: What He Said in His Defence

Dr. Deshpande has issued an apology and offered an explanation of his actions in his defence regarding the complaints made against him. He stated that the words he used were not directed at one specific student and recognised that his actions were unacceptable.

He expressed remorse for not respecting the “decorum of the classroom” and attempted to clarify that he used those words out of anger and not out of any intent to attack someone else. This statement, however, has only intensified the public’s outrage, especially because the professor has used the word “terrorist” multiple times when referring to the student in the video.

Reddit Reacts 

The incident has led to a wide range of responses on social media, particularly through Reddit, where people have written responses full of anger and condemnation and others have reflected on larger societal issues.

“I hope he gets fired and that he NEVER, EVER gets hired again! That is beyond unacceptable as a human being.”

One user pointed out that Islamophobia has been prevalent in educational institutions for many years: “… targeting Muslim students during vivas, exams, and placements.”

Some users have stated that they are disappointed by the slow and ineffective legal process. “Why haven’t they filed an FIR?”

Others stated that they fear that the issue will lose its momentum and have no impact once the current situation cools down.

“Nothing will come of this. He will be on suspension for a while and will be put back when this dies down.”

The situation gives rise to some of the essential questions regarding discrimination, power structures, and accountability on college campuses as the result of this incident:

• Are universities developed to handle sensitive issues of communities in academic settings?
• Are there adequate reporting and investigative processes for faculty misconduct?
• What is the balance between internal investigation and public accountability of institutions?

We don’t have the answers to these yet, and the world shows us everyday that pretty much no one does! 

Logging off, doston..