AARYAN SHARMA
JAMMU: After senior cabinet ministers of BJP failed to take any decisive step against the Jammu University Vice Chancellor and other heads of the institutions for denying student wing organisations including Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) the permission to hold function on the University campus and in the auditorium of a Degree College, the BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav on Tuesday intervened at the highest level while condemning the ‘obstinate behavior’ of Jammu University Vice-Chancellor.
“BJP Ministers take up Jammu University Vice-Chancellor obstinate behaviour against ABVP. Action wl b taken (sic),” Madhav tweeted along with a clipping of a news report claiming the issue was raised by the BJP ministers during the cabinet meeting on Monday in Srinagar.
ABVP activists also provoked Jammu University authorities by painting the walls outside the campus with variety of slogans and other material in grave violation of the blanket ban issued by the Jammu Municipal Corporation against defacing the walls of the MAM College outside University campus.
In a couple of hours Jammu University Vice Chancellor RD Sharma hit back clarifying “Jammu University is governed by certain rules and regulations. Our norms clearly mention that this campus cannot be used for any religious or political activity. The rule has been here ever since the university came into existence.”
Referring to BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav’s comments on Sharma’s “obstinate behaviour”, he said, “It seems some disgruntled varsity students gave incorrect information to Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga in order to cover their own misdemeanour, and the same was conveyed to Madhav. Unfortunately, nobody sought a clarification from us.”
“We never discourage student organisations from taking up welfare activities on our campuses, but they need to be done as per university norms. A number of welfare activities are conducted on our campuses throughout the year,” he added.
The issue was simmering for a long time and snowballed in to a major controversy after ABVP was once again denied permission by the Principal of a local Degree college to organise national executive meeting.
The entry of the ABVP has been banned in all educational institutions in the Jammu region at a time when BJP is running an alliance government in the State with PDP.
It is reported that the ABVP had sought permission from Government Women College Parade, Jammu, for holding national executive committee meet, which was out rightly rejected, even though Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Nirmal Singh was the guest for the event.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir BJP leaders have come at forefront in ABVP’s defence but failed to convince Vice Chancellor and other heads of the institutions on what basis a student wing organisation was being denied permission to hold a non-political event on the campus.
Legislative Assembly Speaker Kavinder Gupta has termed the move as unfortunate and related it to depriving the organization of its political rights.
Earlier JU VC had denied permission to hold blood donation camp on the campus leading to series of protests by the student leaders and ABVP sympathisers in Jammu.
In October 2015 when Jammu University had denied permission to ABVP leaders from holding students conference on the campus and had even closed down the campus, ABVP had managed to embarrass the authorities by holding the conference.
The campus had witnessed tension as large number of students led by Delhi University Student Union President Satinder Awana, forcibly entered the campus and held the conference in the open ground outside Dhanvantri Library amid heavy deployment of police personnel.
