Saraswati Puja row in college: Bengal Speaker says no effort to thwart festival to be allowed
Kolkata, Jan 31 (PTI): Following a row between two groups of students over organising Saraswati Puja in a Kolkata college, West Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee on Friday said any attempt to stop the celebrations will not be allowed.
Banerjee, a renowned lawyer, told reporters the puja should be allowed in the Jogeshchandra Law College premises like previous years and those trying to stop the festivities should be dealt with sternly.
"No effort to stop Saraswati Puja in the college will be allowed. If anyone tries to stop the festival by threat or coercion or any other means, strict action needs to be taken," he said.
His comments came in the backdrop of a section of students of the college alleging on January 30 that they were not being allowed to organise the puja by a group of outsiders who are some students of the institute.
They also alleged the spot earmarked for their puja was blocked by the rival camp which erected its own pandal to host the festival.
In the wake of the situation, a student moved a petition before the Calcutta High Court seeking its intervention in the matter.
The single bench of Justice Joy Sengupta of Calcutta High Court asked Kolkata police to ensure that the ceremony is held with adequate security.
Organising Saraswati Puja has been the practice in educational institutions - colleges, schools and universities - for years.
The ABVP held a protest rally near the college campus gate to protest the alleged attempt to stop the Saraswati puja by some people.
The rallyists also conducted a symbolic 'akal (untimely) pushpanjali' ritual before the college gate and submitted a memorandum to the local police station demanding that the authorities take action to ensure students were not harassed for organising the puja on the campus by any group.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
