New Delhi, Aug 18 : As many as 288 economists at over 81 institutions across the country have so far extended their support to assistant Professor Sabyasachi Das after the Haryana-based Ashoka University accepted his resignation, urging the varsity to immediately reinstate him. Das resigned from the university after his paper suggesting voter manipulation in 2019 elections sparked a controversy. 'We, economists working in India, strongly believe that academic freedom is the cornerstone of a vibrant educational and research community, and that everyone must have the right to pursue knowledge, share their findings, and engage in open dialogue without the fear of censorship or retribution,' the economists said in a joint statement. 'We stand in solidarity with Prof Sabyasachi Das and extend our support for the demands of the economics department at Ashoka University. We urge the Governing Body of Ashoka University to immediately reinstate Prof Das unconditionally.' Among the economists includes AJC Bose from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay from Indian Statistical Institute (Delhi), Archana Prasad from Jawaharlal University, Arpita Chatterjee from Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore) and Debalina Chakravarty from St. Xaviers University (Kolkata). It may be mentioned that earlier the Department of Economics of Ashoka University wrote an open letter to the governing body of the varsity stating the 'hasty' acceptance of his resignation had ruptured their faith they had reposed in the University's leadership. 'The offer of resignation by our colleague Prof. Sabyasachi Das and its hasty acceptance by the University has deeply ruptured the faith that we in the faculty of the department of Economics, our colleagues, our students, and well-wishers of Ashoka University everywhere, had reposed in the University's leadership,' the Department of Economics wrote in the letter. /IANS