A section of IIT-Madras research scholars Tuesday held placards against Padma Bhushan awardee and cardiologist B M Hegde during a lecture on the campus, calling him a proponent of "pseudo-science and quackery."
Belle Monappa Hegde, who had won the third highest civilian award in 2010, was invited by one of the student bodies of the institute, 'Saathi' to lecture on the topic 'Matters that Matter'.
While he was speaking, the group of research scholars of the institute held placards saying 'RIP Science' and 'Saathi of Quacks' in spite of the attempt by the institute security to curb the protest.
"A Padma Bhushan awardee and a cardiologist, prima facie the profile of Hegde looks attractive. But, an elementary googling reveals that he is a proponent of pseudo-science and quackery," the group alleged in a statement.
"He (Hegde) has time and again rejected modern medicine and supported 'quantum healing', which has been dismissed by the scientific community as 'technobabble', a portmanteau of technology and babble," they said.
"Is this just a lapse in checking the background of the speaker? Or is the team Saathi and IIT Madras, accomplice in propagating pseudo-science?" they said.
When contacted by PTI, organisers of the event (Saathi) refused to comment on the incident.
Reacting to the protest, Hegde told PTI it only indicates how much the protesters know about science.
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