There was high drama at Fergusson College (FC) campus after the college administration alleged cancelled permission to given to a lecture on the Indian Constitution by retired justice BG Kolse-Patil on Monday. Even as Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) protested against him, Kolse-Patil delivered his lecture on a road that leads to the college's amphitheatre.
Kolse-Patil said that he learnt about the cancellation after reaching the college. "Since a large crowd of students had already gathered to attend my lecture, I delivered my lecture in open air," he said.
The lecture was organised by a group of FC students on the occasion of Jijabai birth anniversary. As tension gripped the college premises, police were called and security was beefed up at the campus. Sharad Kunte, president of Deccan Education society said the students wanted the amphitheatre. "However, the theatre and some portion of the campus is under litigation. The institute has some restrictions to conduct the programmes there."
Kolse-Patil was supposed to deliver a lecture on the Indian Constitution from 2050 to 2018. Ajay Rahulwad, a student, from the organising committee said that they had informed the administration about the lecture and even paid fees for the amphitheatre on January 17. "However, at 11 am today, the college administration told us that the permission has been cancelled," he said.
Several ABVP members raised slogans and protested against the event. Anil Thombare, secretary ABVP (Pune unit) said that there are allegations of sexual harassment against Kolse-Patil. "We did not want him to deliver a lecture in the campus," Thombare said.
