Aligarh: Senior Professor Rachana Kaushal of the Political Science Department at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has accused Dean Prof. Mohammad Nafis Ahmad Ansari of harassment, claiming she has faced discrimination for 27 years due to her Hindu faith. Professor Kaushal alleges that Prof. Ansari pressured her to resign from AMU and join Banaras Hindu University (BHU).
Professor Kaushal has reportedly submitted a formal complaint to Vice Chancellor Prof. Naima Khatun, along with audio recordings and documents. An investigation into the matter has now been initiated, and she also plans to file an FIR.
She stated that harassment began soon after joining AMU in 1988. “Discrimination and mental harassment started shortly after my appointment. I never thought that my religious identity would be used against me in a central university,” she said.
Despite these challenges, Professor Kaushal continued her work with dedication, though she revealed that the mental stress contributed to a miscarriage in 2004. In 2012, her husband, Dr. D.K. Pandey, a senior professor at JN Medical College, AMU, passed away.
Professor Kaushal also alleged that Prof. Ansari falsely accused Hindu faculty members of discriminating against Muslim students, calling such comments “personally insulting and undermining the secular values of the university.” She claimed that the Dean actively tried to damage her professional reputation. She cited specific instances of alleged harassment, including being excluded from a May 2025 Board of Studies meeting while she was in the US for her daughter’s convocation and being denied the role of coordinator in the NHRC human rights training program, which was instead assigned to a junior teacher.
Professor Kaushal further accused Prof. Ansari of questioning the validity of her appointment, creating a climate of fear, stress, and communal tension, and blocking her promotion in 2015. She said she had to approach the High Court to secure the promotion, which was granted only after the court’s intervention.
She met the Vice Chancellor in September 2025 with her complaint and evidence, but said no action was taken. “The Dean continues to make accusations, and copies of these are not provided. Now, legal action is the only option left. I will soon file an FIR and publicly expose the matter,” she stated. She has demanded a fair investigation and the removal of Prof. Ansari as Dean. Prof. Ansari, meanwhile, has denied all allegations, calling them baseless.
