“They surrounded Saibaba’s wheelchair and began shouting at him,” said Dr GN Saibaba’s wife Vasantha, sounding more exasperated than angry as she recounted how the suspended professor was harassed at Ram Lal Anand (RLA) College yesterday. It’s become something of a pattern.

Since April 21 (last Thursday), Saibaba has made three trips to Ram Lal Anand College. According to Vasantha, each time the former professor has been viciously heckled. Saibaba has been making the rounds because he’s eager to return to work. Having spent the better part of the past two years in jail because he was accused of anti-national activities (a charge that remains unproven so far), Saibaba has been out on bail on medical ground since April 4.

He has visited the college over the past few days to  submit an application for the revocation of his suspension (to the principal Vijay K Sharma on Thursday April 21),  to meet his students and colleagues (on Friday April 22), and to attend the college’s annual day function (on Saturday April 23).

On Thursday, Saibaba met the principal of RLA to submit his application, seeking permission to rejoin teaching duties. Vasantha, who had accompanied him, saw “some outsiders” in the room. “On Friday, he was met by an angry group shouting slogans against him, calling him a naxal,” she said. The were protesting that Saibaba should not be allowed to teach, having seen Saibaba in a classroom.

“But, Saibaba had not gone to take any classes,” Vasantha said. “In fact some of his students and colleagues wanted to meet him, and they all sat in a classroom to talk, rather then blocking a corridor,” she explained. “But the goons asked him why he was taking classes.”

Yesterday, on Monday April 25, Saibaba was at the staff room in Ram Lal Anand College, when a group of people barged in and zeroed in on the professor. Dr Rajiv Kumar, Saibaba’s colleague, was present when this happened. “They surrounded his wheelchair and shouted at Saibaba asking him why he was taking classes again,” said Dr Kumar. “He asked them who they were and was told they were ex-students and members of the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU). The teachers, and some of his students surrounded Saibaba and forced the slogan-shouting group to leave the staff room.”

According to Dr Kumar, the students were not from Ram Lal Anand college.

The troublemakers then sat outside the staff room and continued shouting anti-Saibaba slogans, not allowing anyone to leave the room. The college’s own students, who had gathered in support of Dr Saibaba, began shouting too, trying to drown out the “outsiders”. They formed a human chain to keep Saibaba safe.

The mayhem continued until a teacher called the police. “The police did not do much initially, but the group disbursed sometime later,” said another teacher, who wished to remain anonymous.

According to the teachers, the ‘student’ protestors did not belong to the college and were reportedly members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP, the student wing of Bharatiya Janata Party)  led by Delhi University Students’ Union Joint Secretary Chhatrapal. Yadav. Members of the college’s teachers association confirmed that the principal accepted a memorandum submitted by this group on Friday. The group appears to have returned, with larger numbers on Monday, when the college’s staff association was in progress.

Members of the college’s teachers’ association also noted  a protest against the college principal summoning Dr Saibaba before the college general body meeting. According to statement issued by DUTA, the principal had refused to receive a representation given by 21 students of English (Hons) of RLA College, protesting against the misbehaviour by outsiders. However, he apparently  accepted one submitted by the outsiders.

The RLA teachers’ association also passed resolutions against the college administration who they allege “showed no interest in controlling the mob and against the Governing Body decision to form a single man committee [to decide whether Saibaba’s suspension should be revoked] and against three days of hooliganism on the college campus.” This resolution will be sent to DUTA soon.

Newslaundry tried to contact authorities of RLA College and Delhi University. However, they were not available for comment. Dr Kumar and a few others from RLA are planning to meet the Delhi University Vice Chancellor, Professor Yogesh Tyagi to apprise him of the situation.