Temple construction at Bangalore University sparks student protest
A temple being constructed by the city administration at Bangalore University’s Jnanabharathi Campus was stopped after a protest by students and teachers
A temple being constructed by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) at Bangalore University’s Jnanabharathi Campus was stopped after a protest by students and teachers on Thursday morning.
The BBMP had earlier acquired 30% of the premises of an old temple situated near Jnanabharathi Community Hall for road widening.
The original temple situated there was demolished by the BBMP as there was a grade separator work going on. The new temple is being built instead of that, but in front of the Jnanabharathi Police station as per an understanding with the university, sources said.
Around 100 police and BBMP marshals and one Assistant Commissioner of Police were giving protection while the BBMP construction was going on.
A protester alleged that followers of an MLA were behind the construction of the temple as they wanted to please their bosses and make it a communal issue.
Road widening
At least 30 per cent of the premises of the Vinayaka Temple was lost because of the road widening and grade separator work by BBMP. The BBMP offered to rebuild the temple and former VC of Bangalore University KR Venugopal is said to have approved it, sources said.
The issue of finding a place was pending for eight months but suddenly the BBMP started constructing the temple without anybody’s knowledge in front of the police station and near the administration block.
This is a prime location and will become a public place inside the university, Lokesh Ram, vice-president of Bangalore University Postgraduates and Research Scholars Association, told The Federal.
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He is worried that there are politicians behind this incident and they are trying to make it communal. The University has to take into confidence all the stakeholders before deciding on granting permission for the construction. “They could have rebuilt the temple at the earlier place itself by giving extra space nearby, instead of shifting it to a prime location,” he argued.
Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor Jayakar Shetty told the media that he had requested that the temple construction work be stopped. The issue will be discussed in the syndicate meeting and a location will be chosen to construct the temple, he said.
