In a joint statement, leaders of eight Opposition parties on Tuesday accused HRD minister Smriti Irani of acting like a “patron saint of the ABVP”, and alleged that the Centre was harassing the woman
In a joint statement, leaders of eight Opposition parties on Tuesday accused HRD minister Smriti Irani of acting like a “patron saint of the ABVP”, and alleged that the Centre was harassing the woman president of the Allahabad University Students Union.
Drawing parallels with dalit scholar Rohith Vemula’s suicide at Hyderabad Central University and the controversy at JNU leading to JNUSU chief Kanhaiya Kumar’s arrest, they alleged that Richa Singh, the first woman to lead the Allahabad University Students Union, was harassed by the administration, accusing the Centre of “sowing widespread discontent in campuses by its blatant support to the ABVP’s goondaism”. They pointed out that “HRD minister Smriti Irani is a minister of the entire country and not just the RSS and BJP”.
The leaders said Ms Singh, who won as an independent while all other seats went to the ABVP, angered saffron forces by protesting against the proposed visit of BJP MP Yogi Adityanath.
