It’s true! Student group banned for criticising Modi and his policies

Ambedkar Periyar Student Circle (APSC), a student initiative to discuss social issues, has been prohibited by IIT-Madras following an anonymous complaint saying the group is trying to spread ‘hatred’ against PM Narendra Modi.

The criticism grabbed attention after the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) inquired about the unnamed complaint mentioning APSC’s pamphlets quoting a speech criticising PM Modi.

Prisca Mathew, under secretary to the Government of India in the MHRD, wrote to the director, IIT Madras on May 15, 2015 and asked for an early response on the matter.

The letter sent to the IIT Dean, Sivakumar M Srinivasan read “I am directed to forward herewith a copy of anonymous letter alleging serious complaints received from students, IIT-Madras along with pamphlet issued by Ambedkar-Periyar study circle on the above mentioned subject and to request that comments of the institute may please be sent to this ministry at an early date."

The authorities, within ten days, sent a notice to APSC informing them that they have been ‘derecognised’.

The APSC’s leaflet enclosed with the complaint by MHRD read “The Modi government, while carrying forward its Hindutva agenda, is simultaneously assisting the multinational corporate to loot mother India.... It is communally polarising the common people by the ban on cow slaughtering, ghar wapsi program and promoting Vedas.”