Ernakulam Maharaja’s College witnessed protests by student organisations and cultural activists on Wednesday following the arrest of five students on charge of damaging property on the campus by putting up indecent graffiti on the walls.
Activists of the Students Federation of India (SFI) gheraoed Principal N.L. Beena demanding withdrawal of the complaint against two of its members under various provisions of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act filed on December 19.
The police had registered a case based on the complaint that the accused had entered the college campus in the night on December 16 and caused damage to the college property worth Rs. 50,000 by writing graffiti on the walls.
The protest, which lasted more than two hours, was called off after the college authorities agreed to request the police to stop further proceedings against the two students. The management pointed out that the protesters had agreed to restore the damaged walls to its original condition.
The police said that no arrests were made in the case as the allegations had to be probed further.
SFI activists claimed that its members had put up graffiti that had only summarised certain portions of the college magazine. However, the district unit of the federation said they were against displaying content or posters that could trigger communal rift on the campus. The five arrested students were accused of having put up banners inciting communal hatred. The SFI also clarified that these students were not part of their organisation.
The police said the case was registered under the PDPP Act based on another complaint filed by the Principal on November 23 stating that six students had caused damage to the college property worth Rs.50,000. Cultural activists staged a protest outside the campus blaming the college authorities for stifling dissent and freedom of expression enjoyed by the students. The arrested students had also rejected the allegations raised against them by the college authorities.
