The high court has asked Jadavpur University to stick to its policy of not allowing persons who are not related to the university to use the campus to hold a puja or any other festival.
Justice Biswajit Basu of Calcutta High Court gave the order on Tuesday while hearing a petition that alleged that the university was allowing a group of outsiders to hold Saraswati Puja and also funding it in a way.
“(The) learned advocate of the university submits that… the university allows only the students and employees of the university to hold such Puja within the campus, the outsiders are not allowed to use the campus of the universityfor holding such Pujas/ Festivals; she strongly denies the allegation of the petitioner that the university has funded the Puja of the said respondents,” Justice Basu wrote in the order.
“In view of the aforesaid policy of the university, the persons not related to the university are not entitled to use the campus for holding puja or any other festivals. The university is directed to strictly adhere to its said policy,” the order reads.
An official of the university said the petition was filed after it emerged that a student leader, who is a former student of the university, was allowed to organise a Saraswati Puja on the campus.
Another puja on the campus is being held by a student leader who is a bona fide student of the university. Both groups belong to the same student union.
