A professor in a private engineering college in Belagavi was forced to apologise for his social media post about Madakari Nayaka, after a group of youth found it objectionable.
Members of the Karnataka Parishista Pangada Valmiki Rajya Yuva Ghataka complained to the principal of KLE society’s MSS engineering college that their employee, Abhijit Baikerikar, an assistant professor of engineering, had posted an objectionable message about the 18th century warrior from Chitradurga, on social media. They demanded that the teacher submit an unconditional apology or face legal action.
They also threatened to sit in protest in front of the college.
On the urging of the college authorities, Professor Baikerikar apologised to the group. The group left the college saying they would accept his apology. They said they did not want to pursue the matter further as he was a young employee and had a long career ahead. In a social media post, they warned that anyone who raises such objections in future would face action.
Earlier, the group demanded that KLE society dismiss the teacher and ran an online campaign to #removeabhijit. They pointed out that he was not a Kannadiga and asked him to “go to a state that honours his feelings’’.
The post was in connection with a proposal before the city corporation to rename Rani Parvati Devi circle after Madakari Nayaka. Rani Parvati Devi circle is named after the erstwhile Queen of Sawantwadi who donated over 100 acres to educational institutions in Belagavi.
Professor Baikerikar had questioned the rationale behind this proposal. In the post, he said “What is the connection of Madakari Nayaka to Belgaum? It will forever remain RPD circle to the people of Belgaum. The city corporation that cannot repair drains at the circle wants to rename it, what a joke?’’. This was countered by the youth who said that Madakari Nayaka belonged to the whole of Karnataka and that raising such questions was objectionable.
