Amidst the controversies related to JNU and Hyderabad University, Opposition parties, including Congress, left and AAP on Tuesday accused the Modi Government of harassing Allahabad University Students’ Union president Richa Singh. Alleging that HRD Minister Smriti Irani is acting like the “patron saint of ABVP”, the leaders, inclduing Jairam Ramesh, Sitaram Yechury and Bhagwant Mann said, “We wish to remind her that she is a Minister of this vast, diverse country and not just the RSS/BJP.”
Drawing parallel with dalit scholar Rohith Vemula's suicide in Hyderabad University and the JNU row involving Kanhaiya Kumar's arrest, the leaders in a joint statement trained their guns on HRD Minister Smriti Irani reminding her that she is a minister of the entire country and not just the RSS and BJP.
Jairam Ramesh and Rajeev Shukla (Congress), Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), D Raja (CPI), K C Tyagi (JD-U), Javed Ali Khan (Samajwdi Party), Tiruchi Siva (DMK), Bhagwant Man (AAP) and Jaiprakash Yadav (RJD), who signed the joint statement said they are “aghast” that University administration across the region are “hunting” students, who have a different view than that of the ABVP.
“We are agonized over the fact that the first ever lady president of Allahabad University Students’ Union Richa Singh is being harassed by the administration...A government, which refuses to learn that autonomy of education institution is foundation of democracy, is sowing widespread discontent in campuses by its blatant support to ABVP's goondaism,” they said.
Noting that Richa Singh, a PhD scholar, had won as an independent candidate in Allahabad University while all the other seats were won by ABVP, the leaders claimed that she came into the eye of the storm for protesting against the proposed visit of BJP MP Yogi Adityanath.
“ABVP members allegedly attacked the protestors but instead of investigating the attack, an enquiry was set up on Richa Singh herself” the statement said.