Aligarh Muslim University said "fresh cooking oil" was used to prepare vegetarian food
A controversy erupted at Aligarh Muslim University today after a group of vegetarian students alleged that they were served food cooked in oil used to prepare non-vegetarian dishes, a charge denied by the university.
Students at Sir Syed Hall (North), in a letter to the vice chancellor, alleged that they were served vegetarian food cooked in the same oil in which non-vegetarian meals had been made. They demanded action against the provost for alleged negligence.
Bhartiya Yuva Morcha's city unit chief Nikhil Maheshwari on Sunday said the incident was a "deliberate ploy" to hurt the sentiments of Hindus. A complaint was also filed with a local police station.
The university authorities denied the allegations. AMU spokesman Shafey Kidwai said preliminary inquiries conducted by the provost found that the allegation was "completely baseless".
He said respect for religious sentiments of all students was the hallmark of the university's secular traditions from the time of its foundation.
Mr Kidwai said four members of the cooking staff have confirmed to the university that "fresh cooking oil released by the kitchen stock was used for cooking the entire vegetarian meal".