Asked to resign over remarks on Army: Odisha teacher

An assistant professor at Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) has claimed that she was asked to resign. (File)

An assistant professor at Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) has claimed that she was asked to resign last week over her remarks on the Army during a TV news debate programme on the Pulwama attack.

Madhumita Ray, who was teaching development studies and sociology at Bhubaneswar-based KIIT’s School of Rural Management since 2015, told The Indian Express, “KIIT’s disciplinary committee said it received complaints about my remarks on the TV debate and asked me to resign. The committee members had not seen the episode. In the meeting, they questioned whether they can believe me.”

KIIT PRO Shradhanjali Nayak said, “Madhumita Ray has resigned citing some personal reason as per information received from our institute’s Human Resource (divison).” According to Ray, KIIT’s disciplinary committee in a hearing on February 20 took exception to her remarks on the Indian Army’s role in the Northeast.

“I had used the Northeast as an example to say that the Army should not be involved in Kashmir and leave it to political representatives…,” she said.