A message on a students’ WhatsApp group of Jain College, V.V. Puram, trying to mobilise students of the college for a rally taken out by Tejasvi Surya, Bengaluru South BJP MP, to file his nomination papers on Thursday, April 4, created a stir.
Karnataka Youth Congress and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) lodged a complaint against Mr. Surya with the Election Returning Officer, Bengaluru South constituency, alleging that using college students for campaigning was a violation of Model Code of Conduct. Meanwhile, Jain (Deemed to be) University has ordered a probe into the messages sent.
The message was allegedly posted by a student asking other students to attend Mr. Surya’s rally on Thursday. It said, “Everyone has to be there at the reporting time and no excuses will be entertained. You will be getting attendance for this.” Another message said that Mr. Tejasvi Surya had “obliged the student council” by attending a college fest, and therefore, it is the students’ turn to do the same. “This is why it is compulsory for us to be there tomorrow (April 4) as a council and nothing else,” it read.
Many students took to social media objecting to “compelling” students to attend a political rally. “Shouldn’t this be our right to come or not for the political rally... Education and politics are two different things right? Why should it be mandatory?” one of the students questioned. “The student council president is threatening the consequences if absent,” another student complained.
Congress candidate from Bengaluru South constituency Sowmya Reddy took to social media platform X and sought action over the issue by Chief Electoral Officer — Karnataka and Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru.
M.S. Santhosh, Joint Registrar, Jain (Deemed to be) University, said the institution had not sent any such message and it came from among the students. “We have ordered an inquiry about the entire issue. We will find the origin of the message, inquire with them and depending on what we find, suitable action will be taken,” he said.
When contacted for a response, Mr. Surya’s office said, “While it is needless to say that our office doesn’t involve in such instructions to educational institutes, we are aware of wide spread support MP enjoys in the constituency. Congress has no real issue to discuss, and hence is resorting to these petty tactics.”
