On April 27, students protested against Roza Iftar Party on the campus of Women’s College of Banaras Hindu University. After his photographs surfaced attending the Iftar party, the students raised slogans against the Vice-Chancellor Professor Sudhir Jain. The students took out a protest rally carrying a symbolic effigy and burnt it after reaching VC’s residence.
Notably, this is not the first time VC Professor Jain stirred a controversy. He had informed about Iftar from his official account, which had attracted criticism. On the evening of April 26, when the Iftar party took place, VC, Rector Professor VK Shukla and fasting male and female professors and students opened their Roza. Speaking to OpIndia, students said a discussion on Roza took place that was moderated by Dr Mohammad Afzal Hussain.
The students took selfies with the Rector. Apart from the VC and Rector, Dr Afzal Hussain, Professor Neelam Atri, Acting Principal Professor Rita Singh, Student Dean Professor KK Singh, Chief Proctor Professor BC Kapri, and Dr Divya Kushwaha were present at the party.
The students agitated by the Iftar Party expressed their concerns while talking to OpIndia. They said, “There was no such event like Roza Iftar at BHU for a long time. Suddenly the VC is turning BHU into Jamia, which is not right.” Research student Patanjali Pandey accused the VC of ignoring the interests of the students and the traditions of the University. “Organising such Iftar Party at the campus is condemnable,” the students said and termed the whole program as an initiative to appease Muslims.
The students further added that after the Iftar Party at the campus, anti-Hindu graffiti surfaced on the walls of the campus at various places. The students also provided some photographs of the graffiti where anti-Hindu slogans like “Kashmir to bas jhanki hai, poora Bharat baaki hai” (Kashmir is only the beginning, whole India is still there) and “Brahman Teri kabr khudegi BHU ki dharti par” (Graves of the Brahmins will be dug at BHU campus).
Students who opposed VC’s participation in the Iftar party said, “Former VC Girish Chand Tripathi had started a tradition of sending fruits during Navratri during his tenure. The tradition was stopped, and a new tradition of Iftar was started. It is unacceptable to us. If the VC wants to have Iftar, he can go to AMU or Jamia. He is not needed here.”
The students further added no such Iftar Party had been organised in BHU before. This time Women’s College was chosen so that the students could not go to the college and protest. They added that the practice was objectionable, and they would oppose it. Further protests have been planned over the issue.
On the other hand, the Public Relations Officer of BHU, Dr Rajesh Singh, told OpIndia that Roza Iftar had been a tradition in Women’s College. It included the participation of VC and other officials. Accordingly, an event was organised on Wednesday. He added that Iftar had not been organised for the past two years as the University was closed due to Covid-19. He added as it was a tradition, such controversies should not have erupted over the matter.
