HYDERABAD, India, 15 July 2007 — A political science lecturer of St. Ann’s Degree College for Women was arrested by Hyderabad City Police on Friday evening after over 2,000 girl students of the college held a noisy protest over her “derogatory remarks” against Islam and the Holy Qur’an.
The police took the lecturer, Ms. J. Prashanti, to Asifnagar police station for questioning and later booked a case against her under section 153 A of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. She was produced before a magistrate and was remanded.
Incidentally, the 32-year-old Prashanti had joined the college a week ago. Most of the students at the college are from Muslims.
The trouble was sparked off after the lecturer digressed from her subject and instead made disparaging remarks about Islam in her lectures to the students. In the political science class for Bachelor of Arts (BA) final year, she asked the students to discuss Salman Rushdie and his writings.
When she spoke in favor of the author, who was recently conferred knighthood by the British government, and praised Satanic Verses, the girls objected. Thereupon, she made controversial remarks against Islam and the Holy Qur’an. Five students walked out in protest.
Again, on Friday, she made similar comments while taking a class of BA second year students. She told them not to follow the tenets of the Holy Qur’an.
Students found the remarks damaging and offensive.
What angered them more was her comment that their presence in the classroom meant that they accepted her viewpoint. The girls rushed out to complain to the principal.
They organized themselves by sending SMS to students in other classes and by the lunch hour, over 2,000 girls gathered in front of the principal’s office, demanding an apology from the lecturer.
The authorities locked some of the classrooms to prevent more students from joining the protest.
