After the last-minute cancellation of a talk by controversial pro-Hamas Professor-turned-activist Achin Vanaik on Israel-Palestine after protests by students, IIT Bombay is facing another controversy over a similar issue. A student of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) has filed a police complaint for allegedly extending an invitation to another pro-Hamas activist to give a talk at the institute, Republic World reported on Wednesday (8th November).
#LIVE | Controversy erupts over IIT Bombay's pro-Hamas event, student files complaint against teacher
— Republic (@republic) November 8, 2023
Tune in- https://t.co/0ZgKFIplAZ #Hamas #Israel #IITBombay #IsraelHamasWar #IITB #Gaza pic.twitter.com/tzpXo4D5L0
According to the media report, a student of IIT Bombay named Omkar Supekar is a witness and complainant. Supekar has reportedly filed a complaint seeking action against Professor Sharmishtha Saha. It is alleged that Prof Shah invited Sudhanva Deshpande to conduct the lecture. Notably, Deshpande is an actor/director associated with Jana Natya Manch and is seen as a radical leftist.
It is alleged that Deshpande supported Hamas and terrorists during the talk. Highlighting this, the complainant has sought action against him.
The lecture reportedly was given on Monday (6th November 6), when incidentally the Vice President of India was also invited to a separate lecture in the institute.
According to the allegations levelled by students, Sudhanva was intentionally invited the day when Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar’s lecture was already scheduled.
Supekar said, “She (Prof Sharmishtha Saha) organised a documentary and she invited the person Sudhanva Deshpande as a guest speaker to talk about the documentary. He started his speech with a one-sided narrative and glorified the acts of the militants of Palestine. In fact, he called one of the Palestine militants Zakaria Zubeidi a legend. Further, he also mentioned the name of Ghassan Kanafani and he called upon the need to fight a war and we need arms, in a way supporting the violent battle and the armed rebellion.”
As per reports, Zakaria Zubeidi, whom Sudhanva has glorified as a ‘visionary’, is part of Al-Aqsa’s martyrs brigade specialising in suicide bombings and he took responsibility for a terror attack that took place in Israel in 2002.
According to an X (formerly Twitter), handle claimed to be operated by a group of IIT-B students ‘IIT B for Bharat’, Prof Sharmishtha Saha (Dept HSS) invited radical leftist Sudhanv Deshpande to eulogise Palestinian militants Zakaria Zubeidi, Ghassan Kanafani in the guise of the documentary when Vice President of India visited IIT Bombay and cautioned students to not to fall prey to the anti-Bharat narrative.
@iitbombay Prof Sharmishtha Saha(Dept HSS)invited radical leftist Sudhanv Deshpande 2 eulogize Palestinian militants Zakaria Zubeidi, Ghassan Kanafani in the guise of the documentary when @VPIndia visited @iitbombay & cautioned students 2 not to fall prey 2 anti-Bharat narrative.… pic.twitter.com/a5HkgJqDdq
— IIT B for Bharat (@IITBforBharat) November 7, 2023
The handle added that Prof Saha of IIT Bombay invited Sudhanva Deshpande under the pretext of the Course ‘Performance Theory & Praxis’. Deshpande admits to having met Palestinian militant Zakaria Zubeidi in 2015. He further defends violence & armed rebellion. Zubeidi’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades took responsibility for the Nov 2002 terrorist attack in Bet She’an in which 6 civilians died, the handle claimed to be operated by students of the institute noted.
The documentary was used as a tool 2 invite Ultra Leftist Sudhanva Deshpande for talk. On the pretext of course (HS 835Performance Theory & Praxis), he unabashedly glorified the terrorist activities of Zakaria Zubeidi, and Ghassan Kanafani while conveniently forgetting the latest…
— IIT B for Bharat (@IITBforBharat) November 7, 2023
The post read, “The documentary was used as a tool to invite Ultra Leftist Sudhanva Deshpande for talks. On the pretext of course (HS 835Performance Theory & Praxis), he unabashedly glorified the terrorist activities of Zakaria Zubeidi, and Ghassan Kanafani while conveniently forgetting the latest Hamas attack.”
Complaint raised to the Powai police station @CPMumbaiPolice
— IIT B for Bharat (@IITBforBharat) November 8, 2023
Concrete action is expected from police as well as @iitbombay Now it's too much, Stop playing with students brain and future pic.twitter.com/mfDWWP8Qep
It is important to note that on 7th November, the IIT Bombay announced the cancellation of a talk that was slated to be held earlier on Monday but was postponed to Tuesday. The proposed talk which now stands cancelled would have been given by the controversial Professor-turned-activist Achin Vanaik who recently courtesy controversy for his pro-Hamas and anti-Hindu remarks in the garb of giving a lecture on ‘Israel-Palestine conflict and its history’.
