PES University Suspends Professor for Communal Slurs

A professor at PES University in Bengaluru has been suspended following allegations that he hurled communal slurs at a Muslim student during a classroom session, an incident captured on video and widely shared on social media. The event occurred on March 24 in a BBA Analytics class, prompting police to register a case and student groups to demand accountability.

The confrontation began when the student, identified as Affan, reportedly asked for permission to step out of the classroom or was caught talking during the session, according to accounts from students and university officials. Professor Muralidhar Deshpande, an adjunct faculty member in the Faculty of Management, Commerce, and Arts, reacted aggressively. In the video recorded by another student, he is heard shouting, "Sharam nahi aati, tumko? Do you feel no shame?" and "I thought I would be very calm today." He then repeatedly called the student a "terrorist," using the term multiple times, and made additional derogatory remarks. These included blaming "people like him" for the ongoing Iran war, claiming former U.S. President Donald Trump would "come and take him away," and telling the student he would "go to hell."