St Agnes College Protest Instigated by Muthalik, Alleges Prashanth Jattanna
Udupi: Prashanth Jattanna, Director of the Karnataka State Christian Development Corporation, has alleged that the protest organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) outside St Agnes College in Mangaluru over the conduct of examinations during the Dasara holidays was instigated by Hindu activist Pramod Muthalik. He condemned the protest, alleging that it was aimed at targeting minority educational institutions.
Jattanna said people from all communities participate in and respect the Navaratri celebrations of their Hindu brethren, setting aside caste and religious differences, and that there was no opposition to the festivities. He pointed out that, under the Mangalore University system, no additional holidays are generally granted for Dasara apart from those for Ayudha Puja and Vijayadashami.
St Agnes College is an autonomous institution authorised by the government to determine its examination schedule, he said, adding that no examinations had been scheduled on government-declared holidays.
Despite this, protests allegedly instigated by vested interests seeking to create social unrest had taken place, he claimed. He urged the police and the state government to initiate appropriate legal action against those responsible, including ABVP leaders who participated in the protest and allegedly disturbed public peace.
Jattanna alleged that Muthalik had held a press conference in Mangaluru a few days earlier concerning the Dasara holidays and issued threats against Christian educational institutions. He said the police should have taken appropriate action against Muthalik at the time, claiming that the failure to do so had contributed to the subsequent protest outside St Agnes College.
He further accused Muthalik of repeatedly engaging in activities that threatened social harmony through communal provocation.
Christian educational institutions function in accordance with guidelines issued by the state and central governments’ education departments and need not heed unsolicited advice from individuals such as Muthalik, Jattanna said.
He asserted that Christian educational institutions did not engage in activities intended to hurt the religious sentiments of other communities. Instead, they promoted harmony and mutual understanding among students by celebrating festivals of different religions together.
In a press statement, Jattanna urged the police to take immediate and stringent action against organisations and individuals allegedly attempting to instil hatred in the minds of students, who should be able to focus on their education and build a better future. He also called for adequate security for Christian educational institutions.
