Bengaluru: Seven students of Jain University were on Monday detained by the police for referring to Dr BR Ambedkar in a derogatory manner in a skit staged at their university.
The Siddapura police station are presently interrogating the students, who are fifth semester BBA students of the university. Police have also lodged an FIR against the principal and other senior officials of the university. Apart from that there has been several complaints lodged at several police stations against the college authorities and the students.
Meanwhile, atrocity complaints were lodged in several police stations while Dalit organizations rose in protest against the students and university across the state.
On 8 February, a group of students staged a skit at Nimhans Convention Centre as part of a fest organized by Jain University. In the skit, a derogatory word was allegedly used to describe Ambedkar. The matter came to light after a video of the skit where Ambedkar was insulted went viral on social media. The university has suspended the students who participated in the skit and has also set up a disciplinary committee to probe into the matter.
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Social Welfare officer Madhusudan said that a complaint has been lodged by the social welfare department against the principal, dean, organizers of the program, the students who staged the skit and also the writer by the social welfare department. Police have detained seven people in this connection, an officer of the Siddapur police station said.
The skit has become the centre of controversy for the last few days in Karnataka because over 20 Dalit organizations joined the protests. Considering the gravity of the situation, the Higher Education Minister Dr CN Ashwathanarayana has directed the Principal Secretary of the department to conduct a thorough investigation and submit a report on the skit. "The architect of the Constitution, Baba Saheb Ambedkar is respected by the whole world and if people insult him then it would not be tolerated," he had said.
Meanwhile, Praja Moochana Samiti has filed a separate complaint against the management and students of Jain University in Doddaballapur police station, alleging that Ambedkar and Dalits were insulted by the students. Further, the organization has also demanded cancellation of the university's license.
