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Clash over interfaith relationship in private Dakshina Kannada college, 18 students suspended
Eighteen students of a private Pre-University College in Dakshina Kannada’s Vitla were suspended last week allegedly after an interfaith relationship triggered a clash on the campus
Eighteen students of a private Pre-University College in Dakshina Kannada’s Vitla were suspended last week allegedly after an interfaith relationship triggered a clash on the campus. The management has asked the students to appear only for the upcoming examination in January end.
College principal Adarsh Rai said the suspension order was issued on December 7, after a row erupted in the college between members of the two communities over an interfaith relationship between two students. As the news spread, the college authorities decided to inspect the mobile phones and bags of the students. During the inspection, the official said, a love letter allegedly written by a student from the minority community was recovered from the bag of one of the students.
The woman was then told to not appear for classes and only come to take the examination in January, “for being in the relationship.”
The following day, a group of Hindu students questioned the Muslim man over the relationship, which triggered a an argument between members of both the communities, said principal Rai.
The management then summoned the parents of all the 18 students and suspended everyone involved in the fight.
“We have instructed the students involved in the issue not to come to the college to prevent any kind of untoward incident. The management also held discussions with all the parents of the students,” said Vitla PU college principal Adarsh Rai.
The management has, however, allowed the students to take the preparatory examination at the end of January, and are considering allowing them to attend classes soon. “No one should be affected in availing education,” the college principal said.
Dakshina Kannada district is a communally sensitive area where several moral policing cases have been reported in the recent past. In the last 15 days, the police have registered three moral policing cases in the district.
