Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The ongoing BJP membership campaign faced strong opposition from an unexpected quarter—the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), a student wing of the saffron brigade. Tensions escalated at Government Holkar Science College after ABVP protested against the BJP’s efforts to recruit students into the party.
The incident unfolded as ABVP members raised slogans and halted the membership drive on the college campus. According to Sarthak Jain, a spokesperson for the ABVP, the student wing opposed the BJP’s campaign, arguing that educational institutions should remain free from political interference.
“We oppose the BJP’s membership drive in Holkar Science College because we believe that the temple of education should remain a place of learning, not a political battleground,” Jain said. “BJP workers were forcing students to join their party, and our Indore unit immediately took action to stop it.” BJP city chief Gourav Randive and Indore-3 MLA were also present on the campus and tried in vain to pacify protesting ABVP activists.
The protests took a sharp turn when slogans were also raised against Holkar Science College Principal Suresh Silawat, brother of water resources minister Tulsi Silawat. The ABVP alleged that Silawat failed to intervene and stop the membership campaign on campus, further fueling the outrage. ABVP has also accused the BJP of coercively enrolling students at other colleges in Indore to meet their membership targets.
The BJP, aiming to boost youth involvement in politics, has been ramping up efforts ahead of the campaign’s deadline on September 25. The state BJP leadership, including president VD Sharma, recently echoed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to engage one crore youth in politics across India.
The ABVP’s strong stance against the BJP’s campaign has surprised many, considering the close ties between the two groups. With just two days left for the BJP’s membership drive, tensions remain high in several educational institutions in Indore, as the ABVP vows to continue opposing political activities in colleges.
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