The University of Lucknow has asked its students against celebrating Valentines’s Day on Wednesday. To prevent students loitering on the campus, the university even declared February 14 a holiday. But, holiday has been declared on the pretext of Mahasivaratri.
The university authorities have issued an advisory to this effect which spoke of Valentine’s Day.
“It has been noted in the recent years that certain youth celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14 influenced by the Western culture. In this regard, all students of the co-ed campus are informed that the university will remain closed on February 14on the occasion of Mahasivartri,” said Vinod Singh, proctor in press release.
He said the campus would remain closed completely on February 14 and there would be no extra classes, no practical examinations nor any cultural event on the campus. He further added that the decision had been taken in order to ensure law and order, even though no law and order problem reported on the campus.
Singh also appealed to the parents and guardians of all students not to send their wards to the campus on Wednesday.
The university’s decision came in for criticism as moral policing.