New Delhi: The UP Police has sent notices to 13 students of the Lucknow University after there was tension over the chanting of ‘Hanuman chalisa‘ in front of a mosque on campus Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, some students assembled near the Laal Baradari area on campus and raised slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ while moving in groups inside the campus. They then sat on the road in front of the mosque and began reciting the ‘Hanuman chalisa‘, demanding “shuddhikaran” (purification) of the place where namaz was offered a few days ago.
Muslim students had offered namaz on the road outside the mosque after the university administration had shut the mosque on campus, even though the temple on the premises is still open.
On Monday, the Congress-affiliated National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) staged a demonstration against the shutting of the Laal Baradari mosque on Saturday.
Lucknow University Proctor Rakesh Dwivedi said, “We are talking to students and will sort this out.” On being asked about the namaz controversy, he said, “We have provided everything about the (namaz) controversy to the police.” On being asked whether this meant that police were seeking registration of an FIR against those who offered namaz, he said, “It is for the police to do their part. We have cleared our position in writing to the police on the subject.”
Bajrang Dal office-bearers had earlier warned that if namaz was allowed on the university campus, they too would chant the ‘Hanuman chalisa‘ there. Police were present on campus Tuesday, to prevent escalation, officials said.
The notices issued to 13 Lucknow University students said: “…the above mentioned opponents deliberately tried to stop the construction work going on at Lal Baradari situated in the university and by sitting on the road in front of Divyang Canteen in the university, slogans were raised and protests were held and students offered Namaz at a public place,” the notice said.
The students who have been sent notices have been told by the executive magistrate to furnish a personal bond of Rs 50,000 along with two sureties of Rs 50,000 each to ensure maintenance of law and order for one year following reports of unauthorised religious activities at the historic Lal Baradari structure.
Lucknow Police clarified that no FIR has been registered in connection with the protest, only preventive action was taken to disperse the crowd. “Now, the situation is quiet,” a senior police officer said.
‘University administration creating divide’
Lucknow University students, against whom the notice has been issued, and those who were part of the protest on Sunday, say the notices are a way “to silence voices”.
Prince Prakash, a 2nd year MA in Public Administration student said that Muslims have been offering namaz inside a small room in Laal Baradari since 1820, while the Lucknow University was built in 1920.
“We know the Laal Baradari is in dilapidated condition, and no renovation has been carried out. Rather than restoring it, the administration decided to shut it down completely. Laal Baradari is an important ASI spot, and Muslim and foreign students come here for prayers, I am a Hindu myself, and I have gone there to click photos,” Prince said.
“We protested because in the holy month of Ramzan, the University Administration did this. They are dividing the students. In our campus, we have always celebrated all festivals, Bada Mangal and Ramzan are celebrated wholeheartedly. They cannot divide us,” Prince added.
Taukeel Ghazi, an MA Hindi student, was also part of the protest. “When I reached the campus, I saw the door was sealed. My Hindu brothers, along with Muslims protested that either an alternative location should be provided, or they should open the locks,” Ghazi said.
He said that the environment on campus suddenly shifted after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visited the campus 18 February and BJP leaders visited the campus last week. “I was also detained because police told us they suspect I could ‘disturb the peace’ of the campus,” he said.
Vijay Pratap, state organising secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, said that Tuesday, students associated with Bajrang Dal recited ‘Hanuman chalisa‘ to show their protest against the recent controversy over Laal Baradari.
“We have sent a memorandum to the registrar, to understand since when have people been offering prayers here, we have also filed an RTI to know when this structure was built, and why such Iftaar parties are being hosted?”
Pratap said, “every day new mosques and mazars are being found on roads, this is leading to ‘land-jihad,’ this is not a Hindu-Muslim issue for us, we are making people aware of these structures. These have become adda for ‘love-jihad,’ and to host ‘iftar parties,’ nothing else.”
(Edited by Viny Mishra)