BHOPAL: A video showing a hijab-wearing student offering namaz inside the premises of Dr Harisingh Gour central university in Sagar district has triggered a row in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh.
With the saffron outfits raising the matter with the central university’s administration and offering Hanuman Chalisa path at a temple in the same varsity premises, the university administration has constituted a fact-finding committee to probe the incident.
Also, a notification was issued by the varsity on Saturday directing students to stay focused on academic activities in the varsity and abstain from any such activity that vitiates communal amity.
In the notification, the students have also been asked to observe rituals of their religious faith at home or places of worship and stick to academics only in the varsity, including the classroom and the library.
The video showing the hijab-wearing final year student offering Friday’s namaz reportedly in the varsity's education department went viral on Friday evening.
Activists of right-wing Hindu outfits, including the Hindu Jagaran Manch and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, complained about the matter to the varsity administration and also registered their protest by offering Hanuman Chalisa path at a temple on the varsity campus.
The central university’s vice-chancellor Dr Neelima Gupta said on Saturday, “I was out of station and returned last night only. The matter has come to my knowledge, after which a fact-finding committee has been constituted to probe it. Also, a notification has been issued by the varsity, asking students to focus on academics in the varsity and practice their religious rituals at home/places of worship.”
As per the university’s registrar, Dr Santosh Sohgaura, the six-member fact-finding team constituted in the matter will submit its report within three days. Based on the fact-finding panel’s report, appropriate action will be initiated.