Alappuzha: Students hailing from north India at the Cochin University in Kerala have been declined permission to conduct a ‘Saraswati Pooja’ by college authorities.
“It is informed that the request of North Indian students to conduct ‘Saraswati Pooja’ has been declined by the vice-chancellor, since ours is a secular campus and as such, we cannot permit religious function/activities of any religion inside the campus,” a notice signed by the Joint Registrar of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) said on February 1.
Joint Registrar,Cochin University of Science&Technology: VC has declined request by North Indian students to conduct ‘Saraswati Pooja’ in Cochin University College of Engineering, Kuttanad campus,as it's a secular campus, can't permit functions of any particular religion. #Kerala pic.twitter.com/cYXsNSgIYQ
— ANI (@ANI) February 7, 2019
The students allege that the restriction has come into place only this year and a similar Pooja was conducted on the campus in 2018.
The authorities claim the decision was necessitated because students bring weapons with them which is not allowed on the campus.
However, according to a report published by Times Now, the Pooja was allowed in a “peaceful manner without affecting classes.” After initially saying no.
With inputs from ANI