Marks jihad: Student's fraternity holds march condemning DU teacher's controversial remarks

New Delhi: The Kerala Student's Fraternity in Delhi University, Maithry DU, organised a Unity March on Friday, protesting the "marks jihad" remarks made by a professor from the university in his Facebook post.

In a press release, Maithry DU said that the statement made by the professor was highly unprofessional and was an insult to the educational qualifications of students. "Through the march, students emphasised that such attitudes and remarks must not be tolerated and appealed to everyone to walk the path of secular peace and communal harmony," a press release from the students' body read.

The professor's Facebook post questions the merit of applying students and their educational board. The press release added that it only adds to the woes of Kerala students who have faced many odds to get into Delhi University (DU). It further said that Maithry DU conducted the march to condemn the statement by the professor and in the hope to resist this communal hatred by upholding the Social & Cultural Renaissance Legacy.

Fraternity Movement, Delhi University also condemned the professor's remarks. Its statement said that comparing the marking system with "love jihad" shows how Islamophobia is manifested in mainstream perceptions, even while not addressing Muslims exclusively. It said that higher education should not be exclusive but democratised. Fraternity demanded that the professor should immediately withdraw his controversial statement.

The controversy broke out when professor Rakesh Kumar Pandey, Department of Physics, Kirori Mal College, suggested on Facebook earlier this week that students from Kerala were "infiltrating" Delhi University. The state board of education in Kerala is implementing "Marks jihad", he had said.

But DU administration, on Thursday, has denied favouring any candidates from few selected boards. Condemning professor Rakesh Kumar's post, DU said in a statement that equal opportunity was maintained while admitting candidates in the university, and it was done by accepting applications only on merit.