NU seizes promotion material tagged with student group name

Nagpur: The Nagpur University (NU) on Monday seized all banners and identity cards carrying the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar Students Association (BASA) for the promotion of sports and cultural extravangaza ‘Yuva Spandan’ after Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) filed an objection with vice chancellor SP Kane.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad accused the office bearers of BASA of politicizing the event currently under way on the varsity campus off Amravati Road. The event kicked off on February 28 and will go on till March 7.
The BJP’s student wing demanded recovery in case university funds were utilized by BASA. ABVP city president Amit Patle said if his organization’s name had appeared on the event publicity material, the media, students and teachers would have labelled it “saffronisation of university”. “We are not opposed to Babasaheb Ambedkar. Some students are misusing his stature,” Patle said.
Students development director Abhay Mudgal said the posters and identity cards were printed with permission. “It was done by some students associated with BASA. As per normal practice, an organizing committee of students is formed to look after the event arrangements. The committee included students affiliated to BASA. They didn’t show the proofs before sending them to print,” he said.
He said officials were busy with another event, Yuvarang, when the preparation for this event were going on. Mudgal gave clean chit to university officials and committee in charge.
Mudgal said as per the new universities Act, no specific organization can hold students’ activity on the campus. “Someone who coordinated the printing played the mischief. The event is going on smoothly without an hassle,” he said.
The director also informed that the NU is not going to pay for the material. No bill has so far been submitted.
BASA president Bhushan Waghmare said they were a non-political organization and any student organization can come forward to work for success of the event and not to push any agenda. “Since the application was given through BASA, students printed it on the event brochure and other material. ABVP started saying they too were participant and wanted their name. They are most welcome but only as students and not representative of any political group. We had given a letter that though student election was not held, student-centric event must go on. We carried out all awareness and promotion activities of the event,” he said.