The students’ association of the Pune-based Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the country’s premier film school, staged a demonstration against Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Minister Anurag Thakur, opposing his “political ideology and past actions” during the latter’s visit to the FTII campus Thursday.
The association, which has alleged that students were being surveilled and their representation in the FTII Academic Council revoked, further accused the I&B Ministry authorities of threatening to cut-off funds for the institute in retaliation for the demonstration against Mr. Thakur.
Alleging that Mr. Thakur had “openly instigated communal riots after a hate speech in the capital New Delhi”, a statement by the FTII Student Association read: “The impact of Mr. Anurag Thakur’s beliefs and proclamations of the recent past are nothing short of venomous and absolutely despicable. As if his words themselves weren’t vile and full of communal hatred, the impact they have had on vulnerable communities in our country is painfully visible for all to see. Our student community wholeheartedly condemns this vicious attack on our basic values.”
