Volunteers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday blocked traffic on the East Coast Road protesting against the recent release of a magazine brought out by the Pondicherry University Students Council titled ‘Widerstand’ exhorting campus resistance against forms of ‘oppression’, including ‘saffronisation’ of education.
Over 100 BJP volunteers led by party president V. Saminathan squatted on the road disrupting traffic. The protesters raised slogans against the university management and demanded immediate ban of the magazine.
Copies burnt
At one stage the protesters burnt copies of the magazine and attempted to enter the main gate of the campus. However, the police arrested them.
Mr. Saminathan alleged that the Pondicherry University had been whipping up communal tension on the premises, which was evident during the last 10 years.
Puducherry has been known as a spiritual centre, but the management had been misleading the students on communal lines. The BJP would never give room to such incidents and would fight those who had intruded into the university.
A senior faculty member in the University told The Hindu , “There is no threat to freedom of expression under the NDA rule as could be seen by the release of the magazine by the Students Council. But the content in the magazine can be questioned as it is not at all reasonable. The vice-chancellor (in charge) was away for four weeks. When she was invited for the magazine’s release she was not aware that the content was objectionable,” he said.
A student pointed out that the dean of Student’s Welfare should ensure the welfare of all students. Unfortunately, he was party to the release of the magazine, he said, alleging that the magazine had divided the student community.
By outgoing students
The university administration on Sunday said the magazine brought out by the Pondicherry University Students Council tilted ‘Widerstand’ was an activity taken up by the outgoing Students’ Council of Pondicherry University of the academic year 2015-16.
The Assistant Registrar (Public Relations) said, “The views expressed by the authors and the artistes in their articles and creations were purely theirs and the university administration had no role in the same.”
