Mumbai, In a continuation of actions against dissent, Mumbai police have arrested a second student for allegedly criticizing the inauguration of the Ayodhya Ram Temple via a WhatsApp post. This follows the arrest of a Dalit student last month for sharing a related screenshot critical of the event’s celebration. The latest arrest highlights the increasing scrutiny on social media expressions and the tensions surrounding the event’s public observance.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the 25-year-old student from Kerala, enrolled at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) in Mumbai, was apprehended by the Govandi police for posting a story on WhatsApp that protested the Ram Temple inauguration on January 22. His arrest was made directly on the IIPS campus, as confirmed by his classmates. This incident closely mirrors the earlier detention of another student from Maharashtra, who had reposted the Kerala student’s critical commentary.
The arrests have sparked considerable controversy, especially against the backdrop of celebrations by Hindutva-leaning students at the IIPS, as reported by The Wire. A group of students, predominantly from Bahujan communities, had expressed their concerns over the campus celebrations to the institute’s director, Dr. S.K. Singh, through a confidential letter signed by at least 35 students. The Maharashtra student, previously arrested, was among the signatories seeking to limit such celebrations on campus, citing the potential for exacerbating divisions and spreading hate and fear among students.
Despite their plea for intervention, the institute did not address their grievances, and the situation escalated when the letter was leaked, leading to backlash from Hindutva activists both within and outside the campus. The students involved were eventually coerced into apologizing for allegedly offending those who celebrated the temple’s inauguration.
These incidents underscore the contentious nature of the Ram Temple’s inauguration as a national event and the fraught dynamics it has introduced into academic settings, raising questions about freedom of expression and the societal divide in India.