Row over Saraswati Puja continues in Kolkata’s Jogesh Chandra Regulation School, schooling minister faces scholar protest | Training

Following a row between two teams of scholars in Jogeshchandra Regulation School premises over organising the Puja, the Calcutta Excessive Courtroom on Friday requested the Kolkata Police to make sure that the ceremony could be held by legislation school college students with satisfactory safety.

Additionally learn: Saraswati Puja 2025: Calcutta HC orders police safety for puja celebrations at legislation school

Issues got here to a head on January 29 when college students of the legislation school, majority of them girls, alleged they had been being prevented from organising the puja on school premises by members of TMCP led by ex-student Sabir Ali and even confronted rape threats by them.

One of many lady college students then moved the Calcutta Excessive Courtroom in search of its intervention and the decide ordered that the scholars have to be allowed to have a good time the pageant and requested a top-ranked official of Kolkata Police to watch their safety posting sufficient personnel on the school gate.

Additionally learn: Assam College employees arrested for allegedly molesting minor lady on campus

One normal school and a legislation school are run in the identical constructing at completely different instances of the day. College students of the 2 schools have been individually organising the puja on the identical campus for years. The scenario, nonetheless, is completely different this yr.

Basu, who was accompanied by native Trinamool Congress MP Mala Roy, was greeted by ‘We Need Justice’ slogans from the feminine college students as he went contained in the legislation school campus and met them.

“I’m right here to speak to you. None will coerce you, terrorise you or threaten you. If anybody has issued any risk, we’ll take sturdy motion towards him,” the schooling minister stated.

A number of of the feminine college students broke down earlier than him and alleged that whereas coming into the faculty, they had been threatened with assault and rape by some “outsiders”.

Additionally learn: TS Inter sensible examination corridor tickets launched at tgbie.cgg.gov.in, direct hyperlink

“I’ve met the scholars, I had a darshan of the idol and supplied prayers. I’ve assured the scholars we’ll look into their grievances and applicable motion will likely be taken after inquiry, Basu stated.

He stated he would meet them and the faculty authorities on February 5-6 to debate the problems.

Rejecting the allegations, Ali stated, “We’re organising the Saraswati puja of the day part within the adjoining lane of the faculty. No threats have been issued towards anybody. They can’t present any such video (of issuing threats).”

He additionally added that being an alumnus of the day school, he has each proper to be a part of the Saraswati Puja.

Mala Roy stated, “Saraswati Puja shouldn’t be the event to shout slogans demanding justice.”

The MP stated she and the schooling minister visited each puja pandals erected by the scholars of the 2 schools.

“There was no provocation or aggression proven by the Saraswati puja organises of the day part. Every part is being performed as ordered by the honourable excessive court docket within the presence of the police.

“There are causes to suspect that these demanding justice are backed by political components who need to disrupt the tutorial functioning of the legislation school and foment bother through the Saraswati puja,” she stated.

Senior minister Firhad Hakim stated that in West Bengal, events like Saraswati Puja and Durga Puja are each social and relligious occasions the place individuals from completely different communities participate with equal gusto.

“However some forces try to disrupt the prevailing communal concord within the state. They need to vitiate the environment by utilizing remoted incidents of squabble between two people. Their political ploy won’t ever succeed,” Hakim stated.

Chief of opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP alleged that West Bengal is popping into Bangladesh as Saraswati Pujas are being organised below the watch of police.

“I ask all religious Hindus to be united and foil the sport plan of radical Islamist components sheltered by the TMC,” Adhikari stated.