On Indian Student's Charge, ML Khattar's Tweet, Top UK University's Reply

The London School of Economics (LSE) has said its probing the allegations of discrimination faced by an Indian student after Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar shot off a letter to the university seeking its intervention.

Karan Kataria, a 22-year-old postgraduate law student from Haryana, had claimed he was disqualified from contesting the student union elections following a smear campaign targeting his Indian and Hindu identities.

Mr Khattar's April 5 letter voicing his concern over the allegations evoked a prompt reply from LSE president and vice chancellor-elect (interim) Eric Neumayer.

"I have been informed that this disqualification was not substantiated with reasons and was instead due to discrimination on account of race and beliefs. I could sense that his mother was in severe mental distress when his mother and sister came to meet me," said the Chief Minister in his letter.

The student posted a "thank you" note on Twitter for Mr Khattar and said, "I am a proud Bharatiya, and your support means a lot to me and my family."

Bullying, discrimination and harassment are completely unacceptable, the LSE president wrote back to Mr Khattar. "We are aware of the reports that you raise in your letter, and we are investigating them," he said.

"The SU (student union) has informed us that a candidate was disqualified from the leadership election for breaking election rules, and we understand an external review of the election proceedings will take place in due course," the letter further read.

Mr Kataria had claimed the allegations against him were baseless and that he was disqualified from the race for general secretary of the Student Union without being given a chance to state his case.

The LSE Student Union, in a statement, had said it has a firm zero-tolerance stance towards any form of harassment and bullying.