06 March,2019 08:04 AM IST | Mumbai | Pallavi Smart
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Students of the Indian Institute of Technology - Bombay (IITB) felt that the purpose behind conducting a talk show on the upcoming general elections at the request of a Hindi news channel was to put forward the opinions of IITians, but that is not what happened.
The channel aired the show on March 1 with quotes from non-IITians, who were present at the event, and ran it under the news ticker - IIT Bombay Students Support Modi Government. A students' body on campus, Ambedkar Phule Periyar Study Circle (APPSC), has taken serious offence and written an email to the institute administration, seeking an explanation.
According to sources, many students observed that some outsiders were present. But the situation took a serious turn when they realised that the channel spoke to non-IITians and recorded their opinions on camera. Issuing a statement to the administration, the APPSC said that the institute's students were misrepresented.
"The report says that IITB students are in favour of the Modi government, which is a clear misrepresentation of the institute's voice. IITB students have diverse political views. By getting outsiders to the campus, they have tarnished the institute's image.
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The show portrays the institute as aligning with a particular political view. As IITB students, it's our responsibility to ensure that our views are represented properly in the media, and any violation of this is an encroachment on our rights. APPSC demands a public apology. We see it as a serious matter of hiding the truth and a disingenuous attempt to mislead the public," the statement reads.
A member of the group said, "We found that one of the persons quoted on the show belongs to a right-wing organisation." Another student said, "When we enquired about the outsiders, we were told they had the required permission." Public Relations Officer Falguni Banerjee said, "We have received a letter from the students' body. We will write to the concerned media regarding the issue."
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