Students of IIT Bombay protesting against the derecognition of a student association at IIT, Madras
Around 50 students from different universities across Mumbai protested today against the derecognition of a student association at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.
Students of IIT-Bombay and seven other universities gathered at the Dadar station with banners and drums, shouting slogans and demanding the right to freedom of expression.
Last week, IIT Madras temporarily derecognised the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle - a group of around 20 students - for allegedly violating of guidelines of the institute. The institute's Director, K Ramamurthy, said the group had been using IIT's name without permission.
But students claim they've been targeted for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre's policies.
IIT Bombay has now formed a group with the similar name to show their solidarity. The group is called Ambedkar Periyar Phule Circle, an extension of the student body in Madras, having included Marathi social reformer Jyotirao Phule's name.
IIT-Delhi too has formed its own Ambedkar Periyar group, and IIT-Kanpur has created a Facebook page to register its protest against the ban.
The controversy has even reached the Centre with the Congress accusing Human Resources Development minister Smriti Irani of playing a role in the ban and bullying academic institutions.
Ms Irani has emphatically denied it, saying the IITs are autonomous institutes.
Sources said the IIT had received a note from the HRD ministry, which mentioned an anonymous letter accusing the students' body of "creating hatred among students in the name of caste" and trying to "create hatred against the honourable Prime Minister and the Hindus."
The anonymous letter also enclosed a pamphlet of the study circle highlighting a speech by academician R Vivekananda Gopal which was critical of the Narendra Modi government.
"The pamphlet that's being talked about has quotations from Dr Ambedkar who wrote more intellectual things than any other leader today. You are celebrating pseudo-sciences by saying that the pamphlet is spreading hatred," said Krathi Kumar, a student of IIT-Bombay.