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Row over Piyush Goyal's son's seminar; Students claim they were forced to attend. Video
Piyush Goyal's son apologised on behalf of the college authorities and praised the student who raised the issue fearlessly.
Students of Mumbai's Thakur College claimed that they were forced to attend a seminar of Dhruv Goyal, the son of Union minister Piyush Goyal, the BJP's candidate for the Lok Sabha election from Mumbai North constituency. A video from the event went viral after a student asked Dhruv Goyal his opinion on the college authorities confiscating their ID cards and forcing them to attend the session. The video was shared by Uddhav Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP leaders who are in opposition in Maharashtra.
In the video, the students were seen giving a round of applause after a student posed the question.
Former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray asked whether the principal would be suspended for such a 'horrible act'. "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 govt, where are the jobs? Rather waste their time on lectures taken by sons of candidates…" Aaditya wrote on X.
'Hope these students aren’t suspended for speaking up!" UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said.
'I was not aware, I apologise,' Piyush Goyal's son says
The college authorities released the video of Dhruv Goyal's reply in which he said he was disheartened to know that the students were forced to attend the seminar. He offered his apology on behalf of the college administration and praised the courage of the student who raised the question.
College authorities blame Priyanka Chaturvedi
Thakur College responded to the row and said it was Priyanka Chaturvedi who disseminated a manipulated video. The seminar was successful and well-received but Priyanka Chaturvedi's action led to an unwarranted controversy overshadowing the event. The event was to encourage first-time voters to actively participate in the upcoming general election.
Priyanka Chaturvedi replies: 'Own up to your farce'
Uddhav Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi replied to the press release of the college that named and blamed her for the row and said she did not manipulate any video but shared the video from a news handle.
"You owe your students an apology and perhaps if the principal has any ethics left should resign from the position...A voter awareness campaign cannot merely have the presence of a particular political party candidate's family member...Next time, before issuing press releases have the courage to own up to your face!" Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote.
