JNU notice to student leader for ‘offensive’ Durga Puja posters

Yadav said he was being “targeted” by the authorities even when he was not a signatory in any of the posters. “The posters have been put up by the organisation,not just me. Why am I being targeted personally?” asked Yadav.

While the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) accused the AIBSF of using derogatory words against Goddess Durga,the latter denied the allegation. Yadav,for his part,said he “would file a case of harassment against the university”. Everybody in the country has the right to freedom of expression,he argued.

Meanwhile,Proctor H B Bohidar said two other JNU students,Deepak Pandey and Abhinandan Verma (from the ABVP),were served showcause notices for indulging in violence on the campus. ABVP state secretary Ashiq Hussain said the two have submitted their replies to the notice in the proctor’s office.

Two girls — Sharanya and Gayatri Dixit — have been suspended for “putting up posters derogatory to a community and religion”,Bohidar said.

Early this month,some JNU students had decided to observe ‘Mahishasura Day’,contending that the demon killed by Goddess Durga belonged to a “backward community”. Though Yadav was expected to reply to the notice by Thursday,he sought an extension. He has been given time till November 31 to reply.

“The university has ordered an inquiry into the issue,and the committee will submit its report within a week’s time,” said

Vice-Chancellor S K Sopory.