Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi on Sunday lifted the ban on Saraswati Puja on the campus after a protest by junior doctors.

However, the withdrawal of the ban did not stop BJP state president and Dhanwar MLA Babulal Marandi from targeting state health minister and Congress leader Dr Irfan Ansari accusing him of a “communal mindset” and making decisions “which are inciting religion and cultural division”.

Marandi on his social media handle on Sunday termed the handing over affairs of “prestigious institutions” like RIMS to persons like Dr Irfan Ansari as“unfortunate”.

“His (Dr Irfan Ansari) communal mindset and decisions are inciting religious and cultural divisions. The latest instance is the questions raised over the celebration of Saraswati Puja,” the post on X states.

Appealing to chief minister Hemant Soren to personally intervene in the matter, Marandi said in the post “if today objections are being raised over celebration of Saraswati Puja then questions can also be raised over existence of our devi and devtas (God and Goddesses) and our culture.”

Barely a few hours later, Marandi again posted about the RIMS management’s decision to withdraw the order banning the celebration of Saraswati Puja on the campus citing the pressure by the doctors and students. Healso welcomed the management’s decision.

The controversy began on January 25, when the RIMS management through an order signed by dean academics Dr Shashi Bala Singh announced a ban on Saraswati Puja celebrations after a brutal attack on a second-year MBBS student in Tiril Basti (near the campus) on the night of January 24.

The decision sparked resentment among students and junior doctors and the Junior Doctors Association (JDA) of the institution convened a meeting on January 26 and protested the management’s “arbitrary decision”. The junior doctors’ protest was also supported by the junior doctors network of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) with state president Dr Vikash Kumar appealing to chiefminister Hemant Soren and health minister Dr Irfan Ansari to intervene and have the decision revoked.

Soon after the junior doctors’ decision to protest against the management’s directive, the RIMS committee held an emergency meeting on Sunday and revoked the decision.

Sources in the RIMS said that the decision to revoke the order was taken after the intervention of the health minister.

“The RIMS family expresses gratitude to health minister Dr. Irfan Ansari for intervening and ensuring the ban on Saraswati Puja was lifted. We also thank IMA JDN President Dr. Vikash Kumar for guiding us in our protest,” said JDA president Dr. Ankit Kumar.

The attack that led to the controversy involved Ravish Chandra Suman, a second-year MBBS student, who was brutally assaulted by anti-social elements at a restaurant in Tiril Basti during a birthday celebration.

RIMS spokesperson Dr Rajiv Ranjan said that an FIR was lodged by the institution on January 25 at Bariatu police station and for safety reasons, the management had decided to ban Saraswati puja celebration. However, after a committee meeting on Sunday, the decision was withdrawn.