On Sunday, leaders of Left parties and their allies met Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and sought his intervention to diffuse tension among students after the release of annual magazine by the Students’ Council in Pondicherry Central University.
The leaders of Left parties and their allies called on Mr. Narayanasamy and explained to him how the freedom of expression of students was suppressed by BJP and others on the campus.
Communist Party of India unit secretary R. Viswanathan, CPI (M)’s R. Rajangam and V.Perumal, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi’s principal secretary Deva. Pozhilan and CPI(ML) unit secretary S. Balasubramonyan were part of the delegation.
Mr. Viswanathan said: “The demand of some section to ban the magazine is tantamount to crushing the freedom of speech and expression. Terming the contents of the magazine as anti-national is an attempt to prevent the students to think in a progressive way. We have asked the Chief Minister to ensure that the basic rights guaranteed by the Constitution prevail.”
Mr. Rajangam said: “The contents of the magazine are not anti-national. We want the magazine to be distributed without a hitch.”
The delegation pointed out that the BJP and the ABVP conducted protests against the magazine and their protests were unwarranted. When students affiliated to the Students Federation of India took out a rally against stopping the distribution of the magazine, other groups attacked them. “The police did not act upon their complaints and failed to register the cases of aggrieved students,” said the protesters.
Mr. Narayanasamy told presspersons that Pondicherry Central University was the domain of Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. Hence his government could not interfere in the affairs of the university.
However, if the situation posted a threat to law and order, his government would act, he said.
The Chief Minister said that he had sought a report from the Chief Secretary on the issue and would be calling the Director-General of Police for a discussion on Monday.
