Kerela college magazine insults national flag, ABVP moves court

Kannur: The Akhila Bharathiya Vidhyarthi Parishath (ABVP) is likely to move High Court against the Thalassery Brennan College magazine editorial board, led by Students Federation of India (SFI), for defaming the national flag and anthem. ABVP state Secretary Shyamraj P said the party will file a plea before the court citing that SFI, the students wing of CPI(M), led editorial board has defamed the national flag and anthem in the college magazine. He also demanded withdrawal of the magazine. Talking to mediapersons at a conference here, Mr Shyamraj said he would file a suit against Magazine editor Athul Ramesh and College Prinicipal K Muralidas in this connection.

Mr Shyamraj said the ABVP is not against the freedom of expression of the students but will not tolerate the SFI's continuous attempt in humiliating the national flag and leaders through college magazines for publicity stunt. He demanded that the SFI should clear the meaning of the illustration in the magazine, which showed a man sexually abusing a woman on the street, while in the background the national flag appears to flutter at the cinema theatre, besides some articles criticised and humiliated Rakshabandhan and the symbol of Om.

He said creativity of the students, related to recent political issues, should be expressed through positive debates in college campus and not through magazine. Mr Shyamraj lauded the staff council's decision to withdraw the controversial pages of 12, 13 and 84 of the magazine following the controversy. Besides, he demanded withdrawal of the magazine and issuance of a new one, saying this type of humiliation for negative publicity is the regular policy of SFI. Last year, the SFI defamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Sreekrishna College in Guruvayoor in Thrissur district.

The magazine named "Pellet" was published as part of celebrating the 125th anniversary of Brennen College at Thalassery and distributed it to the students on June 12. College principal K Muralidas said the editorial board had agreed to remove the controversial pages, but the demand of fully withdrawing the magazine was not practical. ABVP organised a mass agitation at Brennen College today. However, police blocked it from entering the college. (UNI)