On Saturday, Delhi based court allowed bail to Ratan Lal, a professor at the University of Delhi, arrested for a social media post aimed at resenting religious beliefs after the discovery of “Shivling” at the Gyanvapi mosque complex in Varanasi. Granted bail on bond of 50,000 and also the surety of the same amount paid by him. A FIR filed on Tuesday night against Lal, an associate professor at Hindu college of DU, based on a complaint filed by a Delhi-based lawyer. Attorney Vineet Jindal said in his complaint that the professor recently shared “a derogatory, inflamed, provocative, tremor tweet.”
He has 153A of the Indian penal Code (acts that promote hostility between different groups due to religion, race, place of birth, place of birth, language, etc. and are detrimental to maintaining harmony) and 295A (acts of intentional indignation, Religious feelings of each class by insulting their religion). On Saturday, left-wing All India Students Association (AISA) activists protested the arrest of an associate professor at Faculty of Arts at Delhi University.
Student activists had placards with the words “Stop attacking teachers” and “Free Professor Rattan Lal”. During the protest, there was a strong police presence. According to police, four external companies, including female employees, have been established apart from the district police.
Lal previously said he only asked questions as a student of history. “People can be hurt by anything. Scientific discourse should not be on the sidelines because the injury is perceived. I asked a simple question if the so-called scraping was broken or cut. Mullah and Pandit do not need to comment on this. Art historians should answer that question, Lal said.
[Source: Hindustan times]