Tension at BJB College in Bhubaneswar after two student groups clash over Tiranga Yatra

Tension prevailed in the Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Autonomous College (BJB) College in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday after two groups of students faced off over Tiranga Yatra on the occasion of Independence Day.

As per reports, a group of students took out a Tiranga march by holding Tricolours in their hands and attempted to take the march inside the college campus.

However, the march was interrupted by another group of students who did not allow the Tiranga Yatra inside the college campus and allegedly locked the gate on them.

Agitated by the act, the first group of students sat on dharna in front of the gate holding the Tricolours in their hands.

Asked about their dharna, a student said, “Tiranga Yatra has become a standard practice in almost all the college and university campuses. So we wanted to do the same in our college too. We had sought permission for the Yatra from the College Principal and he had agreed to it. We had even printed posters and banners of Bharat Mata which the goons of Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) tore apart.”

“The goons of BCJD abused us and did not allow entry into the college. We have been independent since 1947. Don’t we have the freedom of flying the Tricolour inside our campus?” asked another student sitting on dharna.

On the other hand, the student group inside the campus alleged that the other group has non-students in it. “There is a particular time for hoisting the National Flag. They cannot take out Tiranga Yatra now on the campus. Those who want to fly the Tricolour can fly it in their homes as well. But there should not be any politics over this,” said a student of the college.

As India celebrates the 77th Independence Day on Tuesday, the State unit of the BJP organised Har Ghar Tiranga rally in Bhubaneswar on Monday.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, MP Aparajita Sarangi, district unit president Babu Singh and other party workers took part in the Tiranga Yatra organised by the Bhubaneswar Organisational district of the party.

Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who oversees all efforts under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, had approved ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ programme which envisages inspiring Indians to hoist the national flag at their homes.