Row over cancellation of permission for retd judge's Fergusson

A row erupted Monday after the permission for retired high court justice and rights activist B G Kolse-Patil's lecture on the Indian Constitution at the prestigious Fergusson College here, was withdrawn at the last moment.

Justice Kolse-Patil, however, went on to address students on the campus, after he was denied permission to deliver his lecture in the amphitheatre of the college.

The organising committee members blamed the college authorities for the cancellation, however, the Deccan Education Society, which runs the college, said they had offered the organisers the venue other than the amphitheatre as it is under litigation, but didn't get any response.

Tension prevailed on the campus for some time as activists of the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) objected to the lecture. However, police personnel separated the workers of the ABVP and other groups of students to avoid any law and order issue.

Justice Kolse-Patil later told reporters that he