'Not Allowed At Mosque': Muslim Girl Students Demand Space To Offer Namaz, Church-Run Kerala College Denies

A controversy erupted when a college in Kerala' Muvattupuzha run by the Catholic Church denied space on the campus to offer namaz. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supported the college's stance.

On Friday, Nirmala College principal Father Kannadan Francis came across a complaint that a group of Muslim female students were using the college's common room to offer namaz.

When an objection was raised against this, the Muslim girls requested authorities to allot a room for offering namaz, instead. However, the college refused to do this as well.

Subsequently, other Muslim students also got involved and allegedly gheraoed Father Francis. He clarified that there is a mosque only 200 metres from the college and boys are allowed to go there.

"Boys at the college go to the mosque at noon for prayers. However, the girls wanted to use a college room for their prayer, saying that they were not allowed at the mosque," he was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

"We have told them the college cannot allow a room for prayers," the Father said adding that the students who raised the demand were not part of any particular student organisation.

BJP state president K Surendran called the demanding students "extremist elements." He blamed the INDI Alliance constituents, the Left and the Congress for supporting the demand.

"Do colleges under Muslim management give premises for prayer for students from other religious communities? If Muslim groups are trying to foment trouble at colleges, BJP will give protection," he added.

However, the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of the state’s ruling CPI(M) clarified that its stance is secularism, it does not support the demand to allow religious practice on campus.