Savarkar’s bust to be back in DU?

BY ROHAN AGARWAL
New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS)
Almost five months after a controversy erupted over the overnight removal of busts of Veer Savarkar, Bhagat Singh and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose from outside the Arts faculty of Delhi University’s (DU) North Campus, the ABVP-led Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) is trying to bring them back on the campus.
According to a senior official in DU administration, an official request for the same has been received by DU Proctor’s office three weeks back.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) led students’ body also aims to install the highest tri-color in Delhi in the Arts faculty of DU North Campus. However, no formal request for the same has been made yet.
Speaking to IANS, a DUSU member confirmed that three members of DUSU have written a letter to DU Proctor Neeta Sehghal demanding that the busts which were installed outside the Arts faculty be brought back on the campus.
They also demanded that the busts be installed outside the DUSU office this time, which is steps away from the Arts faculty.
“Veer Savarkar’s bust was always on our priority list. In the letter we have asked the Proctor to re-install the same busts of Savarkar, Bose and Bhagat Singh,” the DUSU member said.
A final call on the request will be taken by the Vice Chancellor and the Proctor of the university.
The busts were installed by outgoing DUSU President Shakti Singh on August 20 last year without the permission on varsity authorities. They were removed five days later.
Members of National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students wing of the Congress, had even put a garland of shoes around the neck of Savarkar’s bust and tarred its face. NSUI had justified its act by calling Savarkar a “traitor” besides accusing the ABVP of trying to ‘saffronise’ DU.
After the bust was removed, ABVP had said in a statement: “The act of insulting the idols of Bhagat Singh, Savarkar and Subhas Chandra Bose by the NSUI has exposed the distorted mindset of the Congress.”
The ABVP had said that the authorities have assured it that the busts will be re-installed after DUSU elections, in accordance with the required procedure.

(Rohan Agarwal can be contacted at Rohan.a@ians.in)

- Advertisement -