Left-affiliated student groups at Presidency University have strongly condemned the defacement of a poster featuring Swami Vivekananda. They have demanded an immediate probe into the incident to identify those responsible. The Students' Federation of India (SFI), All India Students' Association (AISA), Revolutionary Students' Front (RSF), and All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) issued a joint statement opposing the vandalism and denying any involvement by Left groups.
- Four Left-affiliated student organisations condemned the defacement of a Vivekananda poster.
- They demand an immediate investigation, including CCTV footage review.
- The groups reject claims of their involvement and oppose vandalism.
- They accuse some groups of exploiting the incident for political purposes.
- They emphasize Vivekananda's message of unity and oppose divisive politics.
What happened to the Vivekananda poster at Presidency University?
A poster featuring Swami Vivekananda was defaced on the Presidency University campus. The defacement included a defamatory word written across the poster and offensive graffiti targeting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The ABVP had put up the poster and filed a complaint with the Jorasanko police station on October 14, reporting the incident.
How did Left student groups respond to the incident?
The Left-affiliated student organisations—SFI, AISA, RSF, and AIDSO—issued a joint statement condemning the defacement. They clearly stated their opposition to defacement and vandalism and denied any involvement in the act. They also expressed concern that the incident was being used by certain groups to target Left forces on campus and to exploit Bengali national sentiment for political gain.
Why do the student groups mention Bengali identity and Vivekananda's legacy?
The student groups emphasized that Bengali identity does not belong exclusively to any particular political or religious group. They stated that the Brahmanical Hindutva forces do not have the right to monopolize Vivekananda's legacy or his progressive ideas to support their political agendas. They highlighted that Vivekananda's message of unity in diversity remains important, especially in the current climate where they believe the RSS-BJP is promoting divisive politics.
What actions are the student organisations demanding?
The organisations have called for an immediate investigation into the defacement, including a thorough examination of CCTV footage. They demand strict action against those found responsible for the vandalism. Additionally, they referred to previous incidents involving defacement of portraits of prominent Bengali personalities by the RSS-affiliated ABVP and alleged attacks on students at Jadavpur University and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI).
Who signed the joint statement from the Left student groups?
The statement was signed by Ushasree Mitra, secretary of the SFI's Presidency University unit; Ankan Maity, secretary of the AISA unit; Debanjan Das, secretary of the AIDSO unit; and Antik Sankar Majumder, convener of the RSF unit.
What complaint did the ABVP file regarding the incident?
The ABVP filed a complaint with the Jorasanko police station on October 14. They alleged that unidentified individuals defaced a Vivekananda poster that the ABVP had put up on the university campus a day earlier. The complaint mentioned that a defamatory word was written across the poster and that offensive graffiti targeting the RSS and ABVP appeared in various locations on campus.
