Saraswati Puja row in college: Bengal Speaker says no attempt to thwart festival will be allowed

Kolkata: Following a row between two groups of students over organising Saraswati Puja in a Kolkata college, West Bengal Speaker Biman Banerjee on Friday said any attempt to stop the celebrations will not be allowed.

Banerjee, a renowned lawyer, told reporters the puja should be allowed in the Jogeshchandra Law College premises like previous years and those trying to stop the festivities should be dealt with sternly.

"No effort to stop Saraswati Puja in the college will be allowed. If anyone tries to stop the festival by threat or coercion or any other means, strict action needs to be taken," he said.

His comments came in the backdrop of a section of students of the college alleging on January 30 that they were not being allowed to organise the puja by a group of outsiders who are some students of the institute.

They also alleged the spot earmarked for their puja was blocked by the rival camp which erected its own pandal to host the festival.

In the wake of the situation, a student moved a petition before the Calcutta High Court seeking its intervention in the matter.

The single bench of Justice Joy Sengupta of Calcutta High Court asked Kolkata police to ensure that the ceremony is held with adequate security.

Organising Saraswati Puja has been the practice in educational institutions - colleges, schools and universities - for years.

The ABVP held a protest rally near the college campus gate to protest the alleged attempt to stop the Saraswati puja by some people.

The rallyists also conducted a symbolic 'akal (untimely) pushpanjali' ritual before the college gate and submitted a memorandum to the local police station demanding that the authorities take action to ensure students were not harassed for organising the puja on the campus by any group.