Mangalore University cancels Bharat Mata’s puja due to opposition by Muslim Organisations

‘If there is a ban on Hijab in the University how can there be a pooja conducted here ?’ – Muslim Organisations

Mangalore (Karnataka) – The Bharat Mata puja scheduled on the 11^th of August at Mangalore University was cancelled by the University. The puja was cancelled because of the opposition of the jihadi organisation the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its student wing ‘Campus front of India’ (CFI). Posters had been put up on the university Campus by the students. In it, they had shown the Bharat Mata holding a saffron flag instead of the National Flag. This was opposed. Dheeraj Sapliga President of the organisation ‘University Students Union’ said that this type of puja has been going on since 2014.

Karnataka: Mangalore University cancels ‘Bharat Mata Puja’ after Left, Congress raise objections on religious groundshttps://t.co/29KdExerD9

— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) August 11, 2022

1. The students of ‘CFI’ and Social Democratic Party had given a request to the Vice-Chancellor of the University requesting the cancellation of the programme of puja. They were saying that Bharat Mata should be holding the Tricolour and not a saffron Flag. Because of this, the programme was religious and also the posters did not depict the Bharat Mata in her correct form.

2. Riyaz Kadambu SDPI’s Karnataka State’s chief for the propagation of the party, raised the question, ‘how can permission for puja be given if there is no permission for wearing a hijab in the colleges?’

3. Tajuddin President of the South Canara CFI, said, Bharat Mata’s puja is being done according to the Hindu Culture. Why is a function singing the praise of Bharat Mata being done under the guise of ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’? Our demand is that action should be taken against those who were organising a religious programme of puja of a saffron Flag holding Bharat Mata in the Government Colleges.

Editorial viewpoint

Hijab is a religious identity while Bharat Mata is a national identity. If someone is performing her puja what is wrong with it ? Those who do not recognise Bharat Mata oppose it in this way. The University should not fall prey to such opposition.