Left parties today strongly condemned the cancellation of recognition to the Ambedkar - Periyar Study Circle (APSC) in IIT Madras, blaming the Sangh Parivar for carrying out "ferocious attacks" on freedom of expression, alternative views and democracy.
In separate statements, CPI(M) and CPI demanded the restoration of the recognition to APSC and action against the IIT-M management for taking such an action.
Maintaining that APSC was "a recognised voluntary body of students" functioning on the IIT Madras campus, the CPI(M) said the Dean of Students cancelled its recognition "for its criticism of the economic and social policies of the RSS and BJP" on the basis of "an anonymous letter sent by the Sangh Parivar".
CPI National Secretary D Raja termed the action as "atrocious and highly condemnable" and said while the IIT-M management "cannot curtail the students' rights to freedom of views and to be critical of the government, the HRD Ministry should not have given such a direction on the basis of an anonymous letter".
Raja said it was "outrageous" that the names of Ambedkar and Periyar were not being allowed to be taken by the authorities. He said earlier too, he had raised an issue in Parliament relating to "discrimination against SCs and OBCs in matters relating to admission and appointment of faculty in IIT-M".
The CPI(M) statement said during the last one year of the BJP-led government at the Centre, "Sangh Parivar organisations have been carrying out ferocious attacks on freedom of expression, alternative views and democracy.
"RSS-BJP and their associate organisations have been engaging in such actions as attacking media and journalists personally in a targeted manner, attacking television stations, threatening those who criticise the Sangh Parivar in the print media and on television, and trying to silence them and putting pressure on them to quit.
"It is in continuation of such actions that the IIT-M has cancelled the recognition given to APSC," it said and demanded immediate restoration of the recognition given to APSC and action against the Dean who cancelled it "without any inquiry and simply on the basis of Sangh Parivar organisations anonymous letter".
The CPI(M) also urged all democratic movements, political parties and people to condemn "such uncivilised, anti- democratic and antediluvian actions.
