Row over cancellation of permission for retd judge's Fergusson

A row erupted Monday after the permission for retired high court justice and rights activist B G Kolse-Patil's lecture on the Indian Constitution at the prestigious Fergusson College here, was withdrawn at the last moment.

Justice Kolse-Patil, however, went on to address students on the campus, after he was denied permission to deliver his lecture in the amphitheatre of the college.

The organising committee members blamed the college authorities for the cancellation, however, the Deccan Education Society, which runs the college, said they had offered the organisers the venue other than the amphitheatre as it is under litigation, but didn't get any response.

Tension prevailed on the campus for some time as activists of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) objected to the lecture. However, police personnel separated the workers of the ABVP and other groups of students to avoid any law and order issue.

Justice Kolse-Patil later told reporters that he had received a letter from the college principal mentioning the topic of his lecture.

"As per the invitation, I reached the college when I came to know that the college administration had cancelled the permission," he said.

Justice Kolse-Patil also claimed that there was no written communication from the college on cancellation of his lecture.

"However, as students had already gathered, I gave my lecture outside the amphitheatre," he said.

Ajay Rahulwad, one of the students in the organising committee, said the lecture series on the subject - Indian Constitution from 1950 to 2018--was organised Monday and the retired HC judge was to deliver the first lecture.

"We had all the necessary permissions to conduct the programme at the amphitheatre and requisite charges were also paid to the college in advance. However, just an hour ahead of the event, the college administration cancelled the permission," he claimed.

Rahulwad said members of ABVP gathered outside the amphitheatre and started protesting even as the organisers were discussing the issue with the college authorities.

When contacted, Deccan Education Society president Sharad Kunte said a group of students wanted to conduct the lecture series in the amphitheatre.

"However, as some portion of the campus including the amphitheatre is under litigation and the institute has some restrictions to conduct programmes in the hall, we told the organisers to conduct the event in any other hall on the campus. However, we did not get any response from the students' group," he said.

ABVP secretary Anil Thombare said the students wing opposed the lecture as justice Kolse-Patil has been accused by a woman of sexual harassment.

The woman, a journalist, had levelled the charge against the retired HC judge last October.

The allegations were already denied by Kolse-Patil.

ABVP leader Thombare said: "Though the event didn't have the permission, the organising committee was trying to hold the lecture series, and that is why we opposed them".

Justice Kolse-Patil, a known RSS-baiter, was reportedly one of the organisers of the 2017 Elgaar Parishad at Shaniwarwada here.

Police suspect that provocative speeches made at the conclave led to violence around Koregaon Bhima village in the district on January 1, 2018.

Fergusson College, founded in the 19th Century, counts Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar, former prime ministers PV Narasimha Rao and V P Singh, noted actor Shriram Lagoo, among its alumni.