Kerala BJP intellectual cell convener T.G. Mohandas faced the ire of students after he was invited to speak at the Central University of Kerala in Kasaragod district in the state.
Mohandas was among the guests invited to speak at a session on ‘Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic’ during the two-day conference on 'Constitution and Democracy: 70 years of Indian experience' organised by the university, reports The News Minute. Seven sessions were organised on Tuesday and Wednesday by the university. Students were reportedly upset with the university's decision to invite pro-BJP figures—former DGP TP Senkumar, journalist G.K. Suresh Babu and T.G. Mohandas—for different sessions.
According to The News Minute, Central University Student Union had said the guests who were invited to speak were neither from academia nor possessed credentials to speak on topics of the sessions.
When Mohandas began to speak, the students began walking out silently, holding placards high. Their protest was reminiscent of the protest staged by students of US’ Harvard Law School two weeks ago.
Students of Harvard Law School had walked out in protest after Israeli Consul General to New York Dani Dayan was invited to speak on the subject 'The Legal Strategy of Israeli Settlements' in occupied Palestine. After Dayan began speaking, the students got up and walked out in silence, holding high placards, one of which read 'Settlements are a war crime'.
Over 100 Harvard Law students walk out of lecture held by Israeli Consul General in New York Dani Dayanhttps://t.co/EUfXBv7SR8 pic.twitter.com/MrAMEEMehl
— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) November 15, 2019
One of the students union leaders said their protest was against the university administration's move to invite people with no proven credentials to speak on the subjects and added that the protest was held in a democratic manner without insulting the guests.
