New Delhi: Several students of the Jamia Millia Islamia university staged protests after a purported video of vice-chancellor Mazhar Asif emerged on social media, where he is heard saying that despite differences in tradition and culture, everyone is Indian as they "share a common DNA of Mahadev", reported Hindustan Times .
The purported video is from an event at the university marking 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The protesting students have alleged that the the event represented the "saffronisation" of educational institutions.
Several students staged a protest, alleging the event represented the "saffronisation" of educational institutions.
"There are so many people sitting here who have a different tradition. I don't think that everyone's mother tongue is the same. I don't think that everyone is of the same culture. Their region and religion will also be different. Despite this, we are Indians because in our DNA, there is Mahadev's DNA," V-C Asif is heard saying in the 30-second video, reported Hindustan Times. The newspaper could not independently verify the video.
The event in question was held on Tuesday (April 28) at JMI's Faculty of Engineering and Technology to mark the RSS's centenary anniversary.
Saiyed, the Delhi state president of the All India Students' Association (AISA) and a master's student at JMI, said that a V-C of a premier institution making an unscientific statement "reflects the influence of the Sangh in educational institutions".
He termed the comments as "not just unscientific but also contrary to the core principles of democracy."
A spokesperson for the JMI administration declined the newspaper's request for comment on the remarks.