NSUI, Dalit group stage protest outside Jain University for mocking Ambedkar

BENGALURU: The National Students Union (NSUI) and a pro-Dalit organisation staged a protest in front of the Jain University in the city on Sunday. They alleged that the architect of the Constitution, Dr B R Ambedkar, was insulted during the staging of a skit, and blacked the board of the college.

On February 6, six students of the Jain University Centre for Management Studies on Lalbagh Road were accused of insulting Dr Ambedkar and Dalits. The group performed a skit during a college festival, and, while trying to give out a message about abolition of caste system, they used derogatory words. A video of the event went viral on social media. On Sunday, the NSUI and a pro-Dalit organisation staged a protest and blacked the board of college.

The NSUI and a pro-Dalit organisation staged a protest in front of the Jain University in the city on Sunday

The organisation claimed that the group of students called ‘BR Ambedkar as Beer Ambedkar’ and also played a song called ‘Don’t Touch me, touch me’ and made fun of him and Dalits. They also performed a controversial skit on ‘ What Makes You a Dalit When You Are D-Lit’. As the controversy snowballed, the college management apologised and the students were suspended.

As the video went viral on social media, Akshay Bansode of a Dalit organisation in Maharashtra filed a complaint at the Nanded police station. A case has been registered at Siddapur police station in Bengaluru too and investigation has been taken up under Jayanagar ACP Srinivas.