The official website of ABES College appeared to be hacked on the 21st of October. On the website, the message of Jai Shree Ram was displayed along with a morphed image of Professor Mamata Gautam, showing her as Surpanakha.
On the hacked website, an image of Lord Ram was displayed along with an image of teacher Mamata Sharma as Surpanakha. Along with these images, a message was displayed on the website which read, “Jai Shree Ram. Only demons have a problem with the name of Lord Ram”.
The website seems to have been hacked after videos of a cultural fest at ABES College went viral on social media. On the 20th of October, a student from ABES College of Engineering in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, found themselves reprimanded by an assistant professor during a college cultural festival and student induction program. The professor, identified as Mamata Gautam by social media users, scolded the student for greeting the audience with a courteous “Jai Shri Ram.”
The incident came to the fore after the video of a professor yelling at the student went viral over the internet. The teacher scolded the student saying, “Why did you raise the slogan of Jai Shri Ram? Do you come to the college for this? This is a cultural program. This cannot be allowed. Out. Get Out.” Meanwhile, the student said that he was just responding to the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ calls from the audience.
Per reports, when the student on the stage and the audience chanted Jai Shree Ram, he was stopped and reprimanded by Professor Shweta Sharma. Thereafter, Mamata Gautam also took to the stage to reprimand and humiliate the students for chanting Jai Shree Ram.
Mamata Gautam has now issued a statement in her defence.
Mamata Gautam said that she has no problem with the slogans of Jai Shri Ram and that she herself observes nine days fast during the Navratri festival. Gautam apparently made the video while sitting in a room with idols of Hindu gods behind her. The ABES Engineering College teacher claimed that the student who raised Jai Shri Ram slogan was arguing with her colleague and thus she stopped him from arguing.
“There was nothing like this. Me, my colleagues and my college people have no problem with the Jai Shri Ram slogan. Neither we have, nor we ever will have an issue with the slogan. That student (Lakshay Sharma) was arguing with my colleague and I went there and told him that he said this (Jai Shri Ram). And as a discipline and cultural coordinator, I told him that you only said this,” Professor Gautam said. “I am a Sanatani Brahmin and I am from Brij and as you all know Shardiye Navratri is going on. During the Navratris, we observe fast for nine days and perform the Pooja-path. We don’t have any problem and will never have with slogans of Jai Shri Ram,” Gautam said.
Update: After the news went viral, the website now seems to be restored to its original state. However, the college authorities are yet to issue any statement in this regard. The report will be updated in case they issue a statement.
