Bombay Students Protest in Solidarity

Mumbai:  Around 50 students from different universities across Mumbai are protesting against the derecognition of a student association at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Last week, IIT Madras temporarily derecognised the Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle – a group of around 20 students – for allegedly violating of guidelines of the institute. The institute’s Director, K Ramamurthy, said the group had been using IIT’s name without permission.

But students claim they’ve been targeted for criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre’s policies.

IIT Bombay too, has now formed a group by the same name to show their solidarity.

The controversy has even reached the Centre with the Congress accusing Human Resources Development minister Smriti Irani of playing a role in the ban and bullying academic institutions.

Ms Irani has emphatically denied it, saying the IITs are autonomous institutes.