<p>As the protests by the students against his appointment as a teacher in the Sanskrit department at the prestigious Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi entered the 12th day, a deeply hurt Firoz Khan on Tuesday said that he loved the ancient Indian language </p>.<p>''I fail to understand why can't a Muslim teach Sanskrit,'' Khan, whose appointment as an assistant professor in the department has triggered a huge controversy with a section of the students maintaining that a 'non-Hindu' could not be made a member of the faculty, where the students were taught ancient Indian 'shastra', Sanskrit language and literature.</p>.<p>Incidentally, Firoz's family had a tradition of learning the Sanskrit language. Firoz had topped the list of candidates who had been interviewed by the selection committee for the post.</p>.<p>Firoz said that he never faced any discrimination because of his religion anywhere in the country. ''It is unfortunate that some students are opposing my appointment,'', he remarked. </p>.<p>Scores of students of the department have been holding a demonstration before the office of the Vice-chancellor demanding cancellation of the appointment of Khan as an assistant professor.</p>.<p>The Varsity officials, however, refused to bow to the demand of the student saying that the appointment was in accordance with the rules of the University Grant Commission (UGC). </p>.<p>The Faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in the studies of ancient Indian Shastra, Sanskrit language and Sanskrit literature.</p>
<p>As the protests by the students against his appointment as a teacher in the Sanskrit department at the prestigious Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi entered the 12th day, a deeply hurt Firoz Khan on Tuesday said that he loved the ancient Indian language </p>.<p>''I fail to understand why can't a Muslim teach Sanskrit,'' Khan, whose appointment as an assistant professor in the department has triggered a huge controversy with a section of the students maintaining that a 'non-Hindu' could not be made a member of the faculty, where the students were taught ancient Indian 'shastra', Sanskrit language and literature.</p>.<p>Incidentally, Firoz's family had a tradition of learning the Sanskrit language. Firoz had topped the list of candidates who had been interviewed by the selection committee for the post.</p>.<p>Firoz said that he never faced any discrimination because of his religion anywhere in the country. ''It is unfortunate that some students are opposing my appointment,'', he remarked. </p>.<p>Scores of students of the department have been holding a demonstration before the office of the Vice-chancellor demanding cancellation of the appointment of Khan as an assistant professor.</p>.<p>The Varsity officials, however, refused to bow to the demand of the student saying that the appointment was in accordance with the rules of the University Grant Commission (UGC). </p>.<p>The Faculty of Sanskrit Vidya Dharma Vigyan offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in the studies of ancient Indian Shastra, Sanskrit language and Sanskrit literature.</p>
