A NIT-Calicut professor, against whom a police case is pending for praising Nathuram Godse on Mahatma Gandhi's Martyr's Day, has been appointed as the Dean of the Planning and Development Department.
In an order from the Director of the National Institute of Technology-Calicut (NIT), Dr Shaija A has been appointed as the Dean of the Planning and Development Department, with effect from March 7.
Shaija was questioned by police in February last year following complaints from organisations such as DYFI, SFI, and the Youth Congress against her social media post praising Godse, in response to a post shared by a right-wing advocate.
In her comment, Shaija had allegedly expressed "pride" in Godse for assassinating Mahatma Gandhi and thus "saving India".
Political parties have strongly opposed Shaija's appointment as Dean.
Slamming the Modi government, the Congress said this was part of its mindset to "appropriate Gandhi, glorify Godse".
In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "A Professor in Kerala who publicly says she is proud of Godse for saving India is made a Dean in NIT-Calicut by the Modi government.
He added that a former judge of the Calcutta High Court "could not choose between Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse" and he is now a BJP MP.
"This is all part of the Modi mindset - Appropriate Gandhi, Glorify Godse," Ramesh said on X.
DYFI, the youth wing of the Communist party of India-Marxist, has announced a protest march to NIT.
The order from the Director has instructed Shaija to work alongside the current Dean, Dr Priya Chandran, until March 7 to facilitate a "smooth changeover".
As per the order, this appointment is initially for two years, until further orders.
Shaija was questioned by Kunnamangalam police at her residence in Chathamangalam. Kunnamangalam court granted her anticipatory bail.
The police had registered a case under Section 153 of the IPC (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riots).