Voices of dissent against a seminar on Ram Janmabhoomi Temple issue being organised at the Delhi University, grew louder on Saturday when BJP leader Subramanian Swamy said that the construction of temple is “mandatory”.
Calling it “communalisation” and “saffronisation” of the university, students and teachers have already been protesting against the seminar since the last five days. They also alleged that the organisers are using the platform to gain legitimacy on the issue as their ultimate aim is to construct the temple.
“The ultimate aim of the BJP government is to build the temple and they will use the seminar as an excuse of giving legitimacy to their agenda by saying that it has been approved by historians. You cannot call it an academic exercise when it is purely a political agenda. We saw it in the inaugural address when Subramanian Swamy said that it is mandatory to construct the temple for reviving the culture,” said a DU professor and member of Delhi University Teacher's Association (DUTA), Abha Dev Habib.
“From inviting Ramdev for a talk in JNU to Adityanath's plans to go to Allahabad University, all these are the central government's plans of pushing their saffron agenda through educational institutions. Universities and colleges are not spaces for such things, these are places where liberal discussions and debates should happen,” she added.
Congress leader and a DU alumni Mani Shankar Aiyar also expressed concern about just one kind of ideology being discussed in a space like an academic institution. “Why should just one kind of ideology be discussed in an academic space. There should be a counter conference, where the university should allow the other side also to present their thoughts. Infact not only in the university, it has been happening all over the country where people are not being allowed to speak their mind and just one school of thought is being promoted,” Mr. Aiyar said.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had said: “Construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya is 'mandatory' for revival of our culture. We have started and we will not give up until it is made but nothing will be done forcibly and against the law. We have full faith that we will win in the court.”
He also claimed that former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi had promised him of support for the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, Swamy appealed to Congress to come forward and support the cause.
