A heated protest unfolded at the Tripura Government College of Art and Craft following allegations of vulgarity surrounding an idol of Goddess Saraswati used in a worship ceremony on Wednesday. Activists, including members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)-affiliated student body Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Bajrang Dal, and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), voiced their objections, claiming the idol’s depiction was contrary to Indian culture and religious sentiments.The controversy erupted during the puja rituals, with students present on the college premises. In response to the protests, the idol was temporarily draped with a saree meant for another ritual before being eventually replaced.
Dibakar Acharjee, ABVP Tripura state general secretary, led the protest, asserting, “This idol is vulgar and hurts religious sentiments. We want to know which statue or idol’s sculpture did it follow. We don’t want anyone to play with the sentiments of our tradition.”
Abhijit Bhattacharjee, principal in-charge of the Government College of Art and Craft, addressed the issue, stating, “The idol had followed the sculpture style of different idols as found in different temples of northern and southern India. The idol didn’t copy the statues but followed the style of sculpture. But we certainly didn’t want to hurt anyone’s sentiments. Some people protested against it and we agreed with them. We have replaced the idol.”
The incident gained traction on social media platforms, with several netizens expressing that the initial idol had offended religious sentiments and should not have been used for the puja by the college and its faculty members.
