Gates locked, IDs taken: Students forced to attend BJP seminar
Students at Thakur College of Science and Commerce in Kandivali, Mumbai, were allegedly compelled to attend a seminar featuring Dhruv Goyal, son of Union Minister Piyush Goyal, as the spokesperson. The students alleged that they were locked into the seminar venue, with their belongings confiscated, the Fress Press Journal reported. The event, focusing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s accomplishments, was arranged by the college on behalf of a BJP member.
Why does this story matter?
The event took place despite the Model Code of Conduct being in effect following the announcement of the 2024 general election dates by the Election Commission of India (ECI) last Saturday. Maharashtra is currently ruled by the Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP and CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance might use the incident to corner the BJP in the state.
What did the students allege?
According to reports, the event was held on the 7th floor of the college building, where students found exit doors locked, presumably to deter them from leaving. The students alleged that their ID cards were also taken away by the organizers before the event. They expressed displeasure with the college authorities for arranging such an event during their examination period without prior consultation.
Student unrest, muffled voices
Students who spoke on the condition of anonymity stated that they were already stressed about their exam, and the management's odd behavior compounded the situation. During the session, students who tried to record the proceedings were allegedly reprimanded and instructed to erase their recordings. One student who voiced his objections was initially silenced but later managed to express his concerns directly to Dhruv.
Student addressing Dhruv
No reaction from college authorities
After Dhruv's exit, the college principal, Chaitaly Chakraborty, reportedly addressed the students, chastising them for their lack of cooperation. There has been no official word from the college authorities so far. The attempt to reach out to the college authorities via email for comments on these allegations was also unsuccessful, per FPJ. The silence from the college has left several questions about the incident unanswered.
