Lok Sabha polls: Mumbai students forced to attend seminar by Piyush Goyal's son; MVA leaders slams BJP

Mumbai: The opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has slammed the BJP and Thakur College of Science and Commerce in Mumbai amid reports that the identity cards of its students were allegedly confiscated by the authorities to make them, compulsorily, attend a seminar addressed by Dhruv Goyal, the son of Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.

A prominent educational institution, Thakur College is located in Kandivali in Mumbai and the video of the incident has since gone viral on social media platforms.

Incidentally, Goyal is the BJP candidate from Mumbai North for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The MVA partners - Congress, Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SCP) and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) have hit out at the BJP and the opposition bloc has also urged the Election Commission to take action.

However, in a statement, the Thakur Educational Trust said that the video being circulated in social media platforms is a manipulated one.

According to the management, the event was aimed at encouraging students, particularly first-time voters to participate in the upcoming general elections. "As part of the initiative, we have welcomed Dhruv Goyal for a meaningful dialogue with first-time voters," Principal Dr C T Chakraborty said in a statement.

“Students of Thakur College in Mumbai were forced to attend the session of Dhruv Goyal, son of Union Minister Piyush Goyal. The students say their IDs were confiscated to ensure that they are compulsorily present when he speaks. What a shame!” said Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi.

Former minister and NCP (SCP) leader Dr Jitendra Awhad said: “Salute to students of Thakur College for expressing that we will not accept anything by force.They were being forced to attend and hear Piyush Goyal’s son’s lecture by the management."

“The new generation cannot be forced or else they will revolt. This is the start. Remember the students of Gujarat and Bihar in 1973 started the Navnirman Andolan and that is were the start of eroding popularity of Indira Gandhi,” added Dr Awhad, who had started off as a students’ leader.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray said: “The regime is sending out a message to the world on a daily basis, that they don’t wish the country to be a democracy anymore. Here, the IDs of the students were confiscated to force them to attend a talk by the son of a BJP candidate in North Mumbai… a day before their exams. Because obviously even on passing, under this government, where are the jobs? Rather waste their time on lectures taken by sons of candidates. Will the principal be suspended for such a horrible act?”

Mumbai Congress President Prof Varsha Gaikwad said: “The video from Thakur college in Mumbai shows how the BJP creates the illusion of a captive audience by literally holding them captive. The ID cards of the students were confiscated to force them to attend a talk by Union Minister and BJP's candidate for Mumbai North Lok Sabha seat Piyush Goyal's son.”

She said that the Election Commission should be taking suo moto action in this case and wanted to know why there is a delay. “I would also applaud the brave students who raised this matter then and there. Hope they are protected and neither the college management nor the BJP take any adverse steps against them. BJP should not underestimate our young voters, they are aware, they are strong and most importantly, they know what is right,” she said.

“Student’s in Thakur college, Mumbai being harassed and being forcefully made to attend a BJP Lok Sabha candidate's son's session. I know that BJP takes the young generation for granted. Don’t test their patience or they’ll surprise you in ways you cannot imagine in the 2024 elections. This is Mumbai, don’t think that this city’s youth will follow your herd mentality,” Congress legislator and ex-Mumbai Congress President Bhai Jagtap said.

The BJP has not reacted to the incident.

The college statement said: "We have been made aware of a situation involving Chaturvedi, who has disseminated a manipulated video pertaining to the interaction, seemingly with political motivations. This has led to unwarranted controversy, overshadowing what was an otherwise successful and well-received event."

"...we wish to clarify that during the post-event interaction, a query was raised by a student that Dhruv Goyal was not previously acquainted with. This matter is currently under review of our institution," it said.