Kerala High Court stays MG University order withdrawing students’ national conference funds over cockroach posters
The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed an order of the Mahatma Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor withdrawing financial assistance sanctioned for a students' national conference over the use of 'cockroach’ posters, granting interim relief to the University's Students' Union.
Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday stayed an order of the Mahatma Gandhi University Vice-Chancellor withdrawing financial assistance sanctioned for a students’ national conference over the use of ‘cockroach’ posters, granting interim relief to the University’s Students’ Union.
Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas passed the interim order on a petition filed by the Students’ Union challenging the Vice-Chancellor’s decision.
A detailed order is awaited and the case has been posted for further hearing on September 10.
The dispute arose after the Students’ Union planned to organise a three-day National Conference on the university campus with prior approval from the university.
The conference had been sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 3.75 lakh, of which Rs 2.81 lakh, or 75 per cent of the total amount, had already been released.
According to the petition, preparations for the conference were progressing when the university issued a circular stating that political activities would not be permitted at events conducted using university funds.
The circular also made prior permission mandatory for the use of the university’s emblem.
The Students’ Union contended that the circular was prompted by two promotional posters for the conference.
One poster depicted a cockroach standing defiantly before a boot, while another showed a cockroach appearing to push back a large curtain.
Subsequently, the Director of Students’ Welfare issued a notice alleging that the posters carried political overtones and violated the Mahatma Gandhi University Students’ Code of Conduct Rules, 2005, along with other University regulations.
The Students’ Union representative appeared before the Director and maintained that the posters contained no political symbols, party flags or campaign material associated with any political party recognised by the Election Commission of India.
A written explanation was also submitted.
Despite the clarification, the Vice-Chancellor withdrew the financial sanction for the conference, prompting the Students’ Union to approach the High Court seeking to quash the order.
With the interim stay now in place, the university’s decision will remain suspended until further orders, while the legal battle over whether the posters amounted to political expression is set to continue when the matter comes up again before the High Court next month.
