Lucknow, Oct 26 (IANS): The Ambedkar University Dalit Students Union (AUDSU) has lodged a protest against the university administration for permitting rituals to be conducted by a group of right-wing students at a Shiv temple located within the campus premises during Navratri.

They are urging the university to construct a place of worship, akin to a church, gurudwara, or mosque, in order to respect the religious sentiments of students from various faiths.

"The university must acknowledge the diverse religious backgrounds of its student body. All students hold strong beliefs in their respective religions. There should be no space for religious activities on the campus; only academic events should be allowed. The leadership of BBAU should contemplate our request and create a place of worship for students from different religious backgrounds," stated Dheeraj Kumar from the law department, representing the Dalit student union of the university.

The Dalit student union contends that the university should not have permitted the construction of a Shiv temple on the campus in the first place; this temple was built in 2014.

They allege that the university has extended invitations to RSS leaders and allowed the entry of "right-wingers" for events, thereby "compromising" the campus' secular ethos.

Dalit students expressed their discontent as "right-wingers" were allowed to conduct hawan and rituals at the Shiv mandir during Navratri. They argue that the university must respect the religious sentiments of students of all faiths or should not allow rituals exclusive to one religion.

Meanwhile, the university administration clarified that they had not granted permission for hawan rituals to be performed. These rituals have been a routine practice for several years.