A Dalit professor at Delhi University, Dr Ratan Lal, who has been booked for social media post on the claims regarding the discovery of a ‘shivling’ at the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi, has been arrested by police in the Indian capital.
Dr Ratan Lal, an Associate Professor of History at Hindu College in Delhi University, sharing a link on Facebook wrote, “If this is a Shiva Linga, then it seems that maybe Shiva was also circumcised.”
The complainant, a Delhi-based Advocate, Vineet Jindal, had written to the Delhi Police stating that the statement made by Dr Ratan Lal is not only “instigating and provoking” but also stirring emotions among the Hindu religion followers. Dr Ratan Lal, has been booked under various sections of Indian Penal Code.
After his social media post went viral, Dr Ratan Lal had posted a video saying he was being threatened by many users online, and asked police for security and help.
A court in Varanasi had directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to probe the structure of the Gyanvapi Masjid. As the videography survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque complex was completed on Monday, the Hindu side advocates claimed that a 12-feet diameter ‘Shivling’ had been found inside the well of the mosque. One day later on Tuesday, the matter reached the Indian Supreme Court which directed the Varanasi administration to protect the area where the claim of finding “Shivling” was made.—INP
