Kerala engineering college denies permission to hold Saraswati Puja, says ‘we’re secular’

Students from north India have been denied permission by authorities to conduct Saraswati Puja in the Cochin University College of Engineering in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, news agency ANI reported on Thursday.

Students from north India have been denied permission by authorities to conduct Saraswati Puja in the Cochin University College of Engineering in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, news agency ANI reported on Thursday.

Last year, the Cochin University College of Engineering in Kerala’s Alappuzha, was shut down indefinitely on January 25 following a clash between two groups of students after beef cutlets were allegedly served during an event on its campus. (Sunil Ghosh/Picture for representation)

“It is informed that the request of North Indians students to conduct ‘Saraswati Pooja’ has been declined by the Vice-Chancellor, since ours is a secular campus and as such, we cannot permit religious function/activities of any religion inside campus,” the joint registrar of Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) said in a notice on February 1.

Last year, the college, which is affiliated to Cusat, was shut down indefinitely on January 25 following a clash between two groups of students after beef cutlets were allegedly served during an event on its campus.

A section of students, mostly from north India, had alleged that they were served beef after being told that they were vegetarian, on the sidelines of a seminar on the college campus near Alappuzha on January 25.

The group had alleged that the beef incident was “revenge” a section of students and teachers of the college had taken on them for organising Saraswati Puja on the campus on January 22 despite opposition from the latter.