RSS teacher’s body says vet all events before approval

NEWDELHI:The Rashtrawadi Shikshak Sangh (RSS), a teachers’ body affiliated to the Rashtriya Swamsewak Sangh (RSS), on Saturday said the Leftist students and teachers bodies were abusing their freedom of speech and expression in Delhi University.

The Shikshak Sangh demanded a detailed enquiry into the clash of RSS-affiliated student body, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), with students of Ramjas College and SFI and AISA members. The ABVP had objected to the invitation to JNU students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid to a literary fest at Ramjas College.

Addressing a press conference at Kirori Mal College, members of the Shikshak Sangh said both the government and the Delhi University should probe the matter separately.

They RSS-affiliated teachers body also announced to take out a symbolic march on Monday.

On February 21, a conference called the “Culture of Protest” whereUmarKhalidandShehla Rashid were invited at Ramjas College was cancelled, following opposition from ABVP. The next day, when the Ramjas students were taking out a march to protest the disruption of the literary fest, members of ABVP allegedly attacked them.

“It is amusing. They called the event a culture of protest, but when a section of students opposed it, those students became hooligans who were indulging in ‘goondagardi’ . So, we want the government and the administration to run a detailed inquiry into the matter,” said Avnijesh Awasthi, Hindi teacher at PGDAV College, and member of Shikshak Sangh.

“We agree that freedom of speech is guaranteed in the Constitution but it is also accompanied by a duty. The university should evolve a mechanism in which events in the colleges are scrutinised in advance, so that such anti-national activities doesn’t take place. We are told that the Ramjas College principal did not know Khalid was invited,” said Pramod Shastri of Kirori Mal College.