BJP today defended the decision of IIT-Madras to derecognise a students body and accused Congress of playing "low-level" politics on the issue to meet its own political ends and trying to divide the student community and create 'disorder'.
BJP defended IIT-Madras's decision to derecognise the students group after a complaint that it was critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the institute is an autonomous body with its own rules and has the authority to protect them in case of violations by some students.
"Congress party is frustrated after its repeated defeats and is unable to digest the achievements of the Narendra Modi government in the last one year. That is why it is doing such low-level politics. Congress has a pattern of creating disorder wherever there is order," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said.
Alleging that the Congress was trying to divide students on the basis of religion and caste, Sharma warned the opposition party not to play politics with students as they are the future of the country.
The BJP leader said IIT-Madras is an autonomous body having its own rules and the authority to protect its rules if anyone breaks them. One should not have objections if it protects its rules taking the help of law, he added.
"In a bid to create a controversy, they are trying to divide even students on the basis of caste and religion. To churn out its own frustration, it should not play with the sentiments of students, who are the future of the country," Sharma said.
Taking a dig at Congress, Sharma said the opposition party is forgetting that this is just the beginning of the Modi government and their bad days have started.
The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras was at the centre of a controversy over derecognition of the students group, many of whose members are Dalits, following a complaint that it was critical of Prime Minister Modi.
A senior IIT-Madras official told reporters in Chennai that the Ambedkar-Periyar Study Circle (APSC) had "violated" defined guidelines of IIT-Madras.
The move has triggered protests from Congress and AAP. Scores of NSUI workers protested outside HRD Minister Smriti Irani's official residence in Delhi over the issue.
