Mumbai, March 17 -- A controversy has erupted at University of Mumbai after senate member Sheetal Devrukhkar-Sheth referred to professor Deepak Pawar, head of the Marathi Abhyas Kendra, as an "urban Naxal" during a meeting on Saturday. The remark has drawn sharp reactions from academics, activists and members of the academic community, who say such statements threaten academic freedom and damage the reputation of scholars. The controversial remark was made during the senate meeting, where an adjournment motion was reportedly moved to censure Pawar. Devrukhkar-Sheth claimed that Pawar had violated service conduct rules by criticising chief minister Devendra Fadnavis during a public programme. This led to a heated discussion in the senate, later sparking protests and statements from several organisations and intellectuals. The Kumar Ketkar panel, which is contesting the upcoming elections of the Asiatic Society of Mumbai, strongly condemned the attempt to label Pawar an "urban Naxal". The panel said Pawar is a respected scholar who has worked for many years to promote the Marathi language, culture and academic research in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, several activists and writers have also criticised Devrukhkar-Sheth, while demanding that the university protect academic freedom and maintain its political neutrality. Shailendra Kamble, secretary of the Mumbai district committee, said, "The senate meeting appearing to turn into a political battleground is extremely worrying for the autonomy of the university." When contacted, Devrukhkar-Sheth said she is firm in her stand, while Pawar has, as of now, decided not to comment on the matter. Last year, Pawar had staged a strong protest against the Maharashtra government's decision to make Hindi compulsory in primary schools. The state government eventually revoked its decision following intense pressure from activists like Pawar and political parties such as the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS....