Kerala: Cochin College Denies Permission For Saraswati Puja, Says It Has A ‘Secular Campus’

The Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in Kerala has denied permission to Alappuzha students from celebrating Saraswati Puja over the weekend and has claimed that it is a secular campus, reports India Today.

Incidentally, this festival used to be celebrated till last year inside the campus of the the government-owned university.

Saraswati Devi is revered as the goddess of knowledge and learning, and students at CUSAT's Kuttanad campus reportedly asked for permission to conduct the puja between 9 and 11 February.

CUSAT's vice-chancellor, however, denied permission saying that the university couldn't allow religious activities in the campus.

"The request of North Indian students to conduct ‘Saraswati Pooja’ has been declined by the Vice-Chancellor, since ours is a secular campus and as such, we cannot permit religious function/activities of any religion inside campus,” the Hindustan Times quoted the joint registrar of CUSAT saying in a circular issued on 1 February.

The HT report also says that the college, affiliated to CUSAT, was shut down indefinitely on 25 January 2018 following a clash between two groups of students after beef cutlets were allegedly served during an event on its campus.