IIT-Madras cracks down on students' group for criticising PM Modi's policies

The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras has cracked down on a student's group for its criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government's policies.

IIT-Madras cracks down on students' group for criticising PM Modi's policies

Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology-Madras has cracked down on a student's group for its criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government's policies.

The Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle (APSC), a student association, has been derecognised by the IIT-Madras following an anonymous complaint which claimed that the group was attempting to instigate people against the policies of the central government and also creating “hatred” against PM Modi and Hindus.

The complaint was received by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and forwarded to the IIT-M management by Prisca Mathew, under secretary at the ministry.

Dean of Students, Sivakumar M Srinivasan, has reportedly said that the group was derecognised for “misuse of privileges” as the students had failed to follow the code of conduct.

The students did not go through me or take my permission for the posters or the activity, Srinivasan told a leading English daily.

APSC members have written to the IIT-M Director complaining against the “unilateral” and “undemocratic” decision to derecognise them.

“Our organisation is engaged in propagating Ambedkar and Periyar thoughts, in helping depressed castes and the caste Hindus to realise the evil of caste-based discrimination taking place in modern India and expose the ideology functioning behind such discrimination,” said the students in the letter to Director, Dr Bhaskar Ramamurthi.

The group members have alleged that their view was not heard before the decision to derecognise them was taken.

The decision was communicated to the students through an e-mail sent by the Dean.

Meanwhile, the Congress-affiliated NSUI has held a protest in Delhi against the IIT-Madras action and demanded that the ban on the students' body be revoked.

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