KOLKATA: Two students held a poster reading ''there is no place for Islamophobia at Jadavpur University'' while receiving their citations and certificates from the Vice-Chancellor (VC), triggering controversy.
Speaking to media, the students alleged that during an English semester examination held on Monday, an invigilator had asked a third-year undergraduate female student wearing a head scarf to help her classmate partially remove her hijab to verify whether she was using any wireless headphone.
“We thought such type of conduct is undesirable in a prestigious university like JU, which is known for its liberal and secular views. We had no intention to create any ruckus but we thought we must protest against this conduct. That’s why we had held a poster while receiving undergraduate degrees during the convocation programme,” said one of two protesting girls on Wednesday evening.
Distancing itself from the protest, the CPI(M)-backed Students’ Federation of India (SFI) leader said, ''What they did is entirely their own decision. It had nothing to do with SFI's demonstration during the convocation demanding immediate student union polls, representation in ICC, or campus security. We do not support any act which may hurt the sentiments of an individual."
Dismissing the allegations, an English faculty member said, ''We deny allegations of Islamophobia. Several students were caught attempting to cheat during the exam, following which vigilance was tightened. If anyone's conduct seemed suspicious, re-checking was carried out. At least four examinees were caught using headphones last week, none of whom belonged to the minority community.''
If teachers are targeted in this manner, it would become impossible for them to carry out their duties, the faculty member said requesting anonymity.
It’s learnt that the JU authorities have started looking into the allegations after students submitted a letter to the VC.