Subramanian Swamy, Sitaram Yechury talks on Ayodhya scrapped by JNU

New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) stoked a controversy on Wednesday after the university cancelled all events that were to be held on campus to mark the 25th anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, including a discussion by Subramaniam Swamy on Babri Masjid.

The discussion by the BJP parliamentarian was scheduled to take place on Wednesday at 9.30 pm at Koyna Hostel in the campus on the topic, ‘Why Ram Mandir in Ayodhya’.

In a statement issued by the university, the events were cancelled “in order to maintain communal harmony, and peace and stability in the campus.”

The statement added that it cancelled talks by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and the CPI(M)’s Prakash Karat on the Ayodhya issue to “maintain communal harmony and peace” on campus.

The two leaders were to address students separately in two hostels around the same time on Wednesday night on the 25th year of the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya. Mr Karat was to speak on “Reclaiming the Republic” in a programme organised by the JNU Students’ Union at the Sabarmati Hostel at 9 pm.

Earlier, only the BJP leader’s talk was cancelled which led to furore and allegations of bias, following which the university cancelled Mr Karat’s talk as well.

The BJP leader accused the Left-wing supporters of putting pressure on the vice-chancellor to cancel the talk. “They must have mounted pressure on VC Possibly the Left-wing students didn’t want to hear my arguments because they fear my powerful arguments were in favour of temple,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Karat said the university had taken a “very undemocratic step” in not allowing the talk on the anniversary of the demolition of the 16th century mosque.

The BJP MP’s talk was organised by a students’ body, the Vivekananda Vichar Manch. One of the organisers, JNU student Prachi Singh, said the forum had been given permission on November 27 to hold the public lecture.

JNU Teachers’ Association president Ayesha Kidwai said a university was the place for democratic discussions on the “most undemocratic of acts”