Mumbai: Advocates and civil society groups have raised strong objections to the treatment of Muslim students at Ideal College of Arts, Science and Commerce and Pharmacy Department in Kalyan. The incident took place on November 21. Students who offered a short namaz inside a classroom were allegedly forced to apologise and hold their ears before a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Videos of the incident circulated online and led to wide public concern.
A legal notice dated November 25 set out the details. The notice said members of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad entered the campus without permission. They confronted the students and escalated an internal matter. The notice described this as a violation of the constitutional rights of the students and an attack on religious freedom.
The notice was signed by advocates Faiyaz Alam Shaikh, Ateeque Ahmed Khan and Nafees Khan. Civil society representatives, teachers and welfare groups also supported the intervention. They demanded a full inquiry to identify all external persons who entered the campus. They also asked for accountability for security lapses. They sought a written assurance that no student will face humiliation or forced religious gestures in future.
The notice asked the college to preserve all CCTV footage. It said disciplinary decisions rest only with authorised college officials. It said external groups have no legal authority to enter the premises or punish students. The signatories warned that they will approach the Bombay High Court if the college does not act within seven days. They also said they will move the State Minority Commission and the National Human Rights Commission.
Civil society groups urged students to maintain peace and reject any attempt to stir communal tension on campus.
