Campus Front of India opposes 'Bharat Mata Pooja' in Mangaluru varsity

The Campus Front of India (CFI) on Thursday has opposed the ‘Bharat Mata pooja’ at a Mangaluru university, questioning why is the institution is allowing a pooja with a poster holding up a saffron flag instead of the tricolour.

The Campus Front of India (CFI) has objected to a 'Bharat Mata pooja' scheduled to be held today at a university in Mangaluru - one of the areas at the heart of the hijab ban in Karnataka - and wanted to know why the university had allowed a pooja with a poster holding up a saffron flag instead of the tricolour, news agency PTI reported.

CFI was active amid the controversy surrounding the hijab ban. (Image credit: Imran Khan/Twitter)

Members of CFI also said a 'flawed' map of India had been circulated before the event. PTI quoted a CFI activist as saying the map showed present day Pakistan, portions of Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar as being a part of India.

The group also alleged the event - organised by the student union of the university in the wake of India's 75th Independence Day - is of a 'religious' nature. Therefore, saying it is ‘against the ethos of Indian Constitution and the Karnataka High Court verdict’ following the hijab ban, members submitted a memorandum demanding that the event be cancelled.

However, a student union member told PTI that the college administration has granted permission for the event to be held on Thursday.

CFI's president for the Dakshina Kannada district, Tajuddin, was quoted saying, “The Mangalore University is organising the religious event in the name of 'Bharat Mata Pooja'. We from the Campus Front of India condemn it.”

“The way the poster of the event has gone viral on social media gives rise to this question why the Bharat Mata has saffron flag in her hand instead of a tricolour. Every citizen should condemn this,” he added

The CFI member also said he is upset that the university has approved a religious event of worship to be held on the premises of the campus, while the same system prohibited Muslim girl students from setting foot within campus in Udupi for wearing hijabs.

Tajuddin also asked a slew of questions - "Why is there a religious event of another community going on in this campus? Why is the principal not talking on this issue? How did he give permission to this event? Where is social equality?”

(With PTI Inputs)