NEW DELHI: Satyam Surana, a student leader from Pune, has found himself embroiled in controversy amid student elections at the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE) in the United Kingdom. In what he describes as a ''carefully orchestrated effort'', Surana claims to have been unfairly targeted with a hate campaign just 12 hours before the elections at the LSE. False accusations linking him to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and labelling him a 'fascist' circulated, aiming to undermine his campaign and reputation. Speaking to news agency ANI, Satyam disclosed that his posters were being ripped off and torn, prompting him to lodge complaints with the authorities. Upon replacing these posters, he found that some had been defaced, with crosses marked on his face and phrases like “anyone but Satyam". “I was cancelled out," he said.


COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

 



 


Anti-Indian Campaign In UK 


Surana alleges that the campaign against him is part of a larger agenda by individuals politically opposed to the current Indian government. He asserts that the campaign involves spreading misinformation and disinformation to discredit him and his affiliations. The campaign against Surana included defacing his campaign posters and circulating messages across various student groups, accusing him of supporting the BJP and labelling him as intolerant towards certain communities.


 



 


Response To Accusations


Surana defends himself, stating that his political views and associations are his personal opinions and should not affect his candidacy in a student election. He highlights the misrepresentation of his connections, such as a photograph with Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, to falsely link him to the BJP.


Indians Behind The Hate Campaign


Surana has expressed disappointment that a majority of those involved in the hate campaign against him are fellow Indians, further emphasizing the need for fair and unbiased discourse within communities.


Who Is Satyam Surana?


Originally from Pune, Surana has also practiced law at the Bombay High Court and is currently pursuing an LLM at LSE, with his course set to conclude later this year.