NSUI students protest outside HRD minister Smriti Irani's home against ban on students' group at IIT Madras
The ban on a student group by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, allegedly after an anonymous complaint to the central government, ignited a political storm in Delhi and protests against Union Education Minister Smriti Irani today.
The Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle, a group of around 20 students, was accused in the complaint of trying to "spread hatred" towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi through provocative pamphlets and posters. The group, which organizes debates and guest lectures, has been barred from using the institute's auditorium, email and notice board.
Tweets from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's office vowed to fight it.
Smriti Irani emphatically denied any role in the ban. "IIT Madras is an autonomous institution which takes its own steps," she said as Congress' student activists protested outside her home in Delhi and accused her of bullying academic institutions.
The institute's Director, K Ramamurthy, said the group had been "temporarily de-recognised" for using IIT's name without permission. He had received a letter from the Human Resource Development ministry on May 15.
The ministry had written about receiving an "anonymous letter" along with a pamphlet of the study circle highlighting a critical speech by academician R Vivekananda Gopal. "The Modi government, while carrying forward its Hindutva agenda, is simultaneously assisting the multinational corporates to loot mother India," the professor had said in a lecture.
The letter signed "Students, IIT Madras" alleged that the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle is "creating hatred among students in the name of caste" and also trying to "create hatred against the honourable prime minister and Hindus."
The student group says it was never given a chance to explain. "The Constitution allows us to criticize the government and its policies," said Abhinav Surya, the head of the study circle.
IIT Madras says the group can present its case before the board of students when it meets after the summer vacation.
Action against the group has generated a fierce debate on social media and was among the top trends on Twitter.