Lucknow: A controversy erupted at the Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU) here on Wednesday after posters issued by a Dalit students union surfaced on the campus.
The posters put up by Ambedkar University Dalit Students Union have 22 pledges that Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar took along with millions of his supporters in Nagpur on 14 October 1956, after he abandoned Hinduism and embraced Buddhism. However, Ambedkar did not call it a change of religion but “freedom from religion-borne physical, mental and economic slavery”. The 22 pledges have been written on posters on the BBAU campus.
After the posters surfaced, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has demanded action against the Dalit students union for causing tensions on the campus. The ABVP said that comments had been made about Hindu gods and goddesses in these posters. A meeting of the Proctorial Board has been called on behalf of the university administration. Varsity spokesperson Dr. Rachna Gangwar said that a decision will be taken soon regarding the further course of action on this entire matter.
The ABVP has also handed over a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor regarding this controversial poster after which the university administration informed the Ashiana police station causing anguish among the Dalit students.
The ABVP members said that the posters were pasted by an LLB student at Law Department. The university Proctor has assured the students that the posters would be removed immediately and action would be taken against those who pasted them.
