Gujarat: MS University students asked to join rally in support of abolition of Article 370 by University

MS University students had to attend a rally after a WhatsApp message by the University administration urged them to participate in Bharat Ekta rally in support of the ‘abolition of Article 370’ by the government on Sunday.

The message sent by the University to students read, “For nation building, University urges all staff and students of MSU to join Bharat Ekta March organised by Vadodara Citizen Committee in support of the abolition of Article 370 and 35A by GOI”.

“We had sent out the message asking students and staff members to attend the rally to every student through their faculty. A message was circulated through WhatsApp” said MSU registrar NK Ojha to The Indian Express.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani hoisted the flag in the rally. The university has 40,000 students of which 30 are from Jammu and Kashmir.

A University Syndicate member of the BJP told The Indian Express “We had sent out messages at least twice to all registered students in the University. This was for a good cause and we had asked students and staff members to voluntarily join the rally. No one was forced.”

Kapil Joshi, a member of the Congress party expressed his anger on the authorities’ move to force the students in participating in the rally. “There could have been a public notice that the event is being organised and those interested could have attended rather than a directive from the authorities,” He told The Indian Express.

Students from various other Universities attended the rally. The rally was led by the Vadodra Kashmir Sabha, an organisation formed by Kashmiri Pandit families in Vadodara.

Speaking at the rally, Rupani described the government’s decision on Article 370 as “historic”. “The citizens of Jammu and Kashmir were kept away from development for so many years. After the abrogation, many people including anti-nationals are unable to deal with it,” he said.