Non-veg not allowed as Hansraj College follows Arya Samaj philosophy, won't withdraw order:Principal
New Delhi, Jan 18: Hansraj College principal Rama Sharma Wednesday refused to withdraw an order discontinuing non-veg food in the hostel and canteen despite facing widespread criticism and asserted the DU constituent college follows Arya Samaj's philosophy.
Speaking to PTI, Sharma also claimed that 90 per cent of the students are vegetarian and they had earlier protested over non-veg food being served in the hostel.
Hansraj College's decision to discontinue serving non-vegetarian food at its canteen and hostel after it reopened following the pandemic in February last year has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters.
Though students claimed that no notice was issued in this matter, Sharma clarified that "a notice was issued and the hostel prospectus mentioned that no non-veg food will be served at the hostel".
"We are not going to withdraw the notice regarding non-veg food. It is an Arya Samaj college. We have our philosophy and that is why we won't serve non-veg food. We conduct 'havan' regularly. We follow our rules. It is written in the hostel prospectus that non-veg food will not be served in the hostel," she told PTI.
"We don't ask St Stephen's (college) to conduct 'havan'. We don't interfere with Khalsa College rules. Then why are we being questioned? We don't say do not eat non-veg food. We just simply ask don't bring non-veg food in college," Sharma added.
A group of students affiliated with the Students' Federation of India (SFI) has called for a protest at Hansraj College against the "discontinuation" of non-vegetarian food and termed it an attempt at "saffronising the campus".
The SFI's Hansraj College unit, in a statement, said frustration is brewing in campus against the "ban" on non-vegetarian food. The protest will be held outside Hansraj Hostel on January 20, it said.
The SFI alleged that there have also been instances where the Hansraj administration confiscated eggs from students who brought them to the hostel.
It claimed a survey was conducted within the Hansraj hostel and was found that almost 75 per cent of students were non-vegetarians as against the college principal's claim that 90 per cent of students were vegetarians, the SFI added.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
