An invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be chief guest at Jamia Millia Islamia's annual convocation has triggered a controversy with a number of alumni demanding withdrawal of the invite, which the university has rejected. Former students Asad Ashraf and Mahtab Alam have written a letter to Vice Chancellor Professor Talat Ahmad which has been endorsed by over 50 alumni.
They claimed that their demand was in view of the comments made by Modi against the varsity in 2008. However, the VC refused to have received any such communication and added that alumni cannot dictate him. “I have not received any letter...if I get it, I will try to see the points they are making. Inviting the PM is not my decision but the executive council. No alumni can dictate me about what should be done,” Ahmed told The Pioneer.
In the letter, the former students said, “We are writing to you to express our deep anguish and grief on your invitation to Narendra Modi to be the chief guest at annual convocation. We are anguished and shocked because, he, along with his party members, has been constantly involved in spreading rumours and hatred about the university. We have a very simple request to you, withdraw the invitation or at least ask him to render a public apology about his own malicious and incorrect statement before he attends the convocation.”
Jamia had earlier this month sent the invite to Modi. However, the varsity is yet to receive any acceptance or acknowledgment from the PMO in this regard.
On asking the VC about the objections raised by the section of alumni over Modi’s 2008 comments, Ahmed said then Modi was the CM of Gujarat and must have said things pertaining to some situation but things were different as now he (Modi) is the PM of the country.