Upset over the alleged unacceptable behaviour of the hostel warden, chaos erupted at Barkatullah University in Bhopal on Monday, November 12. The female students accused the hostel warden of preventing them from visiting the campus temple. Following the allegations, the students launched a protest and began a sit-in demonstration, IANS reported.
Speaking on the matter, a student, Preeti Pawar, stated that there is a temple within the Barkatullah University campus and students were prohibited from visiting the temple and participating in readings of the Sundarkand (a chapter from the Ramayana). "We were warned against attending any Sundarkand gatherings and that any violators would face disciplinary action," she further claimed.
Another student, Karishma Pawar, alleged that on October 22, after attending a Sundarkand recitation at the Hanuman temple on campus, the students returned to the hostel ten minutes late. She stated that the warden scolded them and warned them of expulsion from the hostel and serious consequences if anyone went to the temple without permission.
Student Bharti accused the warden of scolding and verbally abusing them, saying that the warden’s behaviour was unacceptable and that she had no right to prevent anyone from worshipping.
The students allege that the warden has imposed a ban on their temple visits and threatened them with expulsion from the hostel if they go. In response, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) organised a protest on campus. Additionally, students gathered outside the vice-chancellor's office and expressed their dissent by singing Ram Dhun, IANS reported.
