Court orders status quo on beef fest

Taking objection to beef and pork festivals which are scheduled to be held on December 10 on the Osmania University campus, the Hyderabad civil court on Monday issued an interim order to maintain status quo on the campus till December 21. The order is based on an injunction petition filed by an advocate and research scholar of Osmania University S. Janardhan Goud. The petitioner said that both the food festivals could “desecrate” academic environment. Almost quoting from a circular issued by the varsity administration denying permission for the beef festival and gau puja , the petitioner said the festivals were ruining the image of Osmania University. “The university is known globally, and such festivals will only defile its good name,” Mr. Goud told The Hindu .The court also asked city police to ensure that law and order was maintained on the campus. However, challenging the injunction, the organisers of festivals have decided to approach a higher court. “We will approach a higher court to justify our holding of the festival,” said Naliganti Sarath, a student leader and organiser of beef festival. Organisers of the pork festival are also expected to follow suit, though its leader Solanky Srinivas said: “The committee will take its final decision after a meeting on Tuesday”.

Meanwhile, political parties, including Majlis-Bachao Tehreek, Aam Aadmi Party, CPI and CPI(M) issued a statement supporting the student organisers of the beef festival.

“This is a politically motivated attempt to stop the beef festival. First they tried holding pork festival as a front and when no one objected, someone associated with the rightwing filed a petition in the court,” said P.L. Vishweshwar Rao, spokesperson of AAP. Adding to the food festival turmoil, BJP MLA Raja Singh on Monday requested police permission to hold gau puja in Indira Park on December 10.Also, students who faced arrest for organising a 2K run in support of beef festival deplored police presence on the campus and vowed to continue with the festival against all odds.