TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) President Teng Jin-guang (滕錦光) refused to shake hands and take pictures with two doctoral graduates who attended the graduation commencement wearing masks on Sunday (Oct. 27) right after he had encouraged students to accept opposing viewpoints and respect other people's rights.

The graduation ceremony was Teng's first after he took office in July. In his opening speech, Teng addressed the recent social movement in Hong Kong, urging students to "accept different opinions in a respectful and rational manner," according to Liberty Times.

Among 326 doctoral students, two decided to wear masks onto the stage to receive their diplomas. When the masked students reached out to shake the president's hand, Teng refused and stepped back, gesturing for them to leave the stage.

The president of the PolyU Student Council, Hu Guo-Hong (胡國泓) said Teng did not accept or respect the students' opinions. Hu accused Teng of contradicting his speech and said his behavior was no different from the Hong Kong government, reported ETtoday.