Kashmir University Teachers Association (KUTA) on Sunday condemned the “disrespect and ill-treatment” meted out to Prof Khurshid Iqbal Andrabi by an officer of J&K police at Udhampur.
“It is highly deplorable that a person of professor Andrabi’s caliber, who is not only the Vice-Chancellor of State’s biggest University, but an acclaimed academic of the state is treated with absolute disrespect and disregard. The officer in uniform, in a brazen violation of Y-security status protocol kept Professor Andrabi waiting on roadside for a long time even when Prof Andrabi introduced himself to the officer. In a brazen violation of Y security status protocol, which the officer should have been aware of, started scrutinizing all the documents pertaining to the vehicle,” a spokesman of KUTA said in a statement.
“KUTA condemns such acts of machoism by the officer, committed in the name of law. Academicians throughout the world are accorded highest respect but it is very unfortunate that in our own soil, they are insulted on roadsides. This act tantamounts to insulting the whole academic fraternity of the state.”
KUTA said it demands a through time-bound probe into the matter, strict action against the erring officer and an unconditional apology especially in the backdrop of the “ulterior motivation to have all the media personnel in place waiting to stop the vehicle and insult Professor Andrabi before camera.”