Guv defies protest, lights lamp before Bharat Mata
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T'puram: Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar yet again lighted a lamp before a Bharat Mata picture, at a function inside the Kerala University Senate Hall campus on Wednesday, as the impasse between him and the SFI over the use of the picture at events attended by the former reached its threshold.
Despite the KU registrar denying permission for the event citing the image — mostly used by RSS — as a religious symbol, the governor attended it. Outside the venue, Left wing and KSU activists protested, leading to clashes.
Sree Padmanabha Seva Samithi, a pro-BJP organisation, booked the Senate Hall for the function to observe 50 years of emergency. A large picture of Bharat Mata with a saffron flag was kept on the stage, which triggered the row.
The KU registrar objected to this and asked the organisers to remove the picture but they refused saying they paid the rent for the hall and hence would decide which picture should be used.
CPM functionaries, including syndicate members, along with SFI and KSU activists, soon reached the campus and said they would not allow the function to be held. Reports emerged that the organisers cancelled the programme, which was scheduled to begin at 5.30pm.
Considering the tense situation, the registrar informed Raj Bhavan not to attend the event. However, Arlekar reached the Senate Hall campus by 6.20pm amid protests and attended the programme.
This escalated the tension further and the SFI workers clashed with police when they tried to enter the hall. The police removed them from the campus forcefully. SFI workers decided to block the governor's exit and they staged a sit-in before the main gate of the Senate Hall campus. The police facilitated the governor's exit through the back gate of the campus, which stopped the tension from further escalating.
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