'Vulgar': Saraswati idol without saree in Tripura sparks row; ABVP, VHP protest

Saraswati idol without saree in Tripura sparks row

Pictures of Goddess Saraswati’s idol without a saree in Tripura’s government college of art and craft sparked a huge row after it went viral on social media on Wednesday. According to reports, the idol was crafted by the students of the college.

Soon after the pictures and video made rounds on social media platforms, a group of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Bajrang Dal supporters protested and barged into the college premises to compel the institute’s authorities to drape the idol of Goddess Saraswati with a saree, reported news agency ANI. According to the student bodies, leaving the idol without a saree was “vulgar” and “contrary to the spirit of Indian culture and religious sentiments”.

Joint secretary of the ABVP unit of Tripura, Dibakar Acharjee, told ANI that the institute’s move hurt their religious sentiments.

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“As we all know, today is Basant Panchami and Goddess Saraswati is worshipped all over the country. In the morning, we all got the news that in the Government Art and Crafts College, the idol of Goddess Saraswati was sculptured in a very wrong and vulgar way. We instantly reached the location and started our protest. We made the college authority stop the worship there and forced the students to rap a saree on the idol. We strongly protest against this type of initiative in any educational institution,” Acharjee said.

Reportedly, the ABVP has also demanded Tripura chief minister Manik Saha to take strict action against the college authority.

Meanwhile, Tripura state co-ordinator of Bajrang Dal Tutan Das also condemned the depiction of the idol saying it is a “deviation from the cultural and traditional values expected from students of an art and craft college.”

“We vehemently denounce the lack of decorum shown towards Devi Saraswati by the students of the Government College of Art and Craft. The VHP will not tolerate any disrespect towards Hindu deities,” assistant coordinator (campaign) of VHP, Sourabh Das said, as quoted by PTI.

According to reports, the police visited the institution but no complaint has been lodged by the student bodies yet.

(With inputs from agencies)

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