Saraswati Puja celebrations at a Government College of Art and Crafts in Tripura's Agartala turned into a scene of protest after a video of a Saraswati idol made by students without a traditional saree went viral on social media.
The protest was led by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and was later joined by members of the Bajrang Dal. They stated that the idol not wearing traditional Indian clothes was "vulgar" and disrespectful to Goddess Saraswati.
Commenting on the matter, Dibakar Acharjee, the ABVP's leader in Tripura, said, "Today is Basant Panchami, and Goddess Saraswati is worshipped all over the country. We heard that the idol of Goddess Saraswati in the Government Art and Craft College was made in a wrong and vulgar way."
“This idol is vulgar and hurts religious sentiments. We want to know which statue or idol’s sculpture it followed. We don’t want anyone to play with the sentiments of our tradition,” he further added.
The protest led to the college authorities draping the idol with a saree. ABVP also demanded strict action against the college authority and urged Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha to intervene.
Meanwhile, the college authorities clarified that the idol followed traditional sculpture forms observed in Hindu temples and did not intend to offend anyone. However, to address the concerns raised, the idol was replaced and veiled with plastic sheets behind the puja pandal.
Abhijit Bhattacharjee, principal in-charge of the Government College of Art and Craft, said, “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.”
Although police visited the scene, no formal complaint was lodged by either the college or the protesting groups.
