Agartala, February 14: A controversy unfolded at the Government College of Art and Craft in Agartala, Tripura’s capital, during celebration of Saraswati Puja on Wednesday as members of ABVP and then Bajrang Dal, affiliated with RSS and Vishwa Hindu Parishad respectively, objected to the depiction of the goddess Saraswati, labeling it as ‘vulgar’.
The original idol was replaced, and the college authorities had to covered that idol with plastic sheets to appease the protesters.
The dispute arose over a Saraswati idol crafted by students and faculty, deemed by some as too modern and not representative of Indian culture.
ABVP supporters protested, demanding the idol be draped in a sari to make it less obscene before allowing worship to continue.
But soon the situation further escalated when the Bajrang Dal members entered the college, chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’, and demanded the removal of the idol altogether.
Despite attempts by college authorities to reason with the protesters, emphasizing the idol’s resemblance to those in Hindu temples, the demands persisted.
Abhijit Bhattacharjee, principal in-charge of the college clarified that the idol was created following traditional sculpture forms found in Indian temples, with no intent to offend. However, in light of the protests, the original idol was removed and covered with plastic sheets, currently residing behind the puja pandal.
