At least 40 students of the University of Mumbai, mainly those associated with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), protested at the Kalina campus on Monday, seeking removal of Yogesh Soman, director of the university’s academy of theatre arts, for allegedly making derogatory statements against Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Indira Gandhi in a video on his social media accounts.
Soman’s remarks were in the context of a statement made by the former Congress president about the Citizenship Amendment Act. “Not only was Soman appointed illegally, but he has also failed to perform his academic duties. Moreover, making derogatory comments on national political leaders is unbecoming of the director of the institute,” said Apoorv Ingale, a student of the academy. Soman was unreachable for a comment.
Another group of students also protested at the Kalina campus against a book written by BJP’s Jay Bhagwan Goyal that draws comparison between Prime Minister Narenda Modi and Maratha warrior king Shivaji. “The book draws parallels between Shivaji and Modi. It is disrespectful towards the history of the Maratha warrior,” said Sachin Bansode, state convenor of Chhatra Bharti.