Four RBU departmental heads resign over 'racist slurs'

Kolkata, June 19 (IANS) In a sensational turn of events, four departmental heads of the Rabindra Bharati University have stepped down alleging racist slurs targeted against them by state's ruling Trinamool Congress students wing members.The Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad leaders, however, termed the allegations as baseless, and counter-charged that these were only a ruse on the part of the professors to fend off accusations that they did not take classes regularly.The four departmental heads submitted their resignations to Vice Chancellor Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury on Monday.They also blamed some leaders of non-teaching staff union of insulting them repeatedly."it is impossible to work like this. We can't continue," said one of the departmental heads, almost breaking down.Alarmed over the developments, state Education Minister Partha Chatterjee said such happenings, if true, would besmirch the reputation of the reputed institution.Chatterjee, who discussed the issue with Ray Chaudhury, said his department was looking into the matter.There were also allegations of old cases of caste and racial slurs not being probed properly.
--IANS ssp/vd