A journalism professor at Mysuru University has urged the Karnataka government to revoke his suspension over his role in an event on April 13, where he reportedly asked voters to not choose the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Mahesh Chandraguru alleged that he was suspended without investigation because of the vice-chancellor’s ties with BJP leaders, The News Minute reported. His colleague Aravind Malagatti was also suspended.

After the event, the BJP filed a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging that two professors were campaigning for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress party. The next day, the poll panel sent a notice to the university, asking it to investigate the charges. The commission warned Vice Chancellor C Basavaraju on Monday to take action after it did not receive a report. The next day the two were suspended.

Chandraguru told The News Minute that he had spoken against the BJP at the event and called it a “threat to democracy” and called the Janata Dal (Secular) a “casteist party”. “I had only said that people can vote for anyone but BJP and JD(S),” he said. “This does not mean I support the Congress or endorsed the party.” The event was organised by Karnataka State Backward Communities Forum and Federation of Progressive Associations in Mysuru

Guru has written to government’s chief secretary, the state Election Monitoring Committee and the principal secretary of higher education, urging them to quash his suspension order, The New Indian Express reported. He said the university was undermining his freedom of expression.