PANAJI
A protest by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members on a college campus at Mapusa triggered a debate among some of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders most of whom openly supported the students’ wing for protesting the non-installation of students’ council for 2022-23.
BJP spokesperson Savio Rodrigues’ tweet raising objection to politically affiliated protest started the discussion on the social media with several questioning his intention.
“Students having issues with the management of Xavier’s College, Mapusa must protest as students (,) not representatives of a politically social organization “ ABVP. Doing so defeats the purpose to seek remedy to grievances. Keep colleges free from political & religious play,” Rodrigues tweeted.
State Convener of the BJP Social Media Cell Rupesh Kamat was quick to school Rodrigues arguing that ABVP works in the interest of students rather than indulge in politics.
“It is sad that an institution indulged in discrimination based on religious lines and deprived the students of their rightful activities. A condemnable & shameful act. ABVP works in the interest of the students. And not there to do politics,” he responded.
Party spokesperson and convenor of the Research and Policy Development Giriraj Pai Vernekar asked the Velim leader if the ABVP should not intervene in issues concerning students.
In his reply tweet, Vernekar said, “…R u (Are you) saying @ABVPVoice shouldn’t intervene in student issues like these? Especially when the institution discriminates? ABVP’s intervention has exposed the sinister designs. U (you) see politics in their involvement, while I see support against injustice.”
To this Rodrigues agreed that the college students were subjected to injustice while questioning why the management was not addressing the issue. He also replied to Kamat saying that students' issues must be resolved between the college and the students.
General Secretary of the St Xavier College Sahil Mahajan dismissed claims of political agenda reminding Rodrigues that ABVP is a student organization, which is not affiliated with any political party.
“No religious and political agenda was kept forward. Our demands were to conduct the induction ceremony and meet the principal with the support of St Xavier’s College students,” he tweeted.
“Isn’t ABVP a student organization, to fight issues faced by Students,” questioned another Twitter user Vidhyadhar Nayak, in support of the ABVP members.
Other Twitterati asked Rodrigues to not drag political and religious aspects into the matter.
