Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students' wing of RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh), worshipped Lord Ram on the Jadavpur University (JU) campus today, January 22, coinciding with the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. At the same time, the Students' Federation of India (SFI), one of the majority student unions in the university, staged a protest rally inside the campus and held a seminar where speakers denounced any attempt to change history and divide society by the fascist regime, as stated in a report by PTI.
ABVP State Committee leader Saptarshi Sarkar told PTI that around 50 people assembled at the union room to worship Lord Ram and watched the live streaming of the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. "Apart from the ABVP members and students, some staff of the university were also present. The programme will continue till evening," he added.
JU SFI leader Sourayadipto Roy said, "The Arts Faculty Students Union (AFSU) rejects any communal and fascist intention of RSS-BJP. We are organising cultural functions, discussions and film screenings to uphold the message to save the culture, heritage and pluralistic characteristic of India." The SFI held programmes on the campus till this afternoon.
The All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA) in a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Education Minister Bratya Basu and Governor CV Ananda Bose voiced concern on attempts to, "hold religious activities on the campus which violates the secular spirit and has no relation with education and public interest."
A university official said the institute has nothing to do with any programme being held by any individual group if that does not affect peace on the campus or violates the academic ambience. "The semester exams are taking place smoothly. We can't comment on any programme being held by any student outfit," the official added, PTI reported.
