Rahul Gandhi to FTII Students

Pune:  Rahul Gandhi’s pep-talk to protesting students of the Film and Television Institute of India or FTII today came with a series of questions that led to the same answer. “If you dissent, they call you anti-national, anti-Hindu,” he told the students who have been on strike for nearly two months over the appointment of TV actor Gajendra Singh as their chairman.

“Calling anti-national or anti-Hindu are techniques to shut you up,” he commented.

In the open session that was televised, the Congress vice president said that the FTII protest was a minor form of the “real fight,” which was for what the real idea of India is.

Dressed casually in a tee-shirt and jeans, Mr Gandhi, 44, took questions and asked many of them.

“This will make a really nice movie – how the entire might of the Indian government was trying to push 250 students aside,” he remarked to a hall-full of film students.

The students have boycotted classes for weeks and refused to return unless the central government cancels the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan, who is seen as close to the ruling BJP. Several alumni  and other film personalities say Mr Chauhan’s stature fall far short of the top post.

“This is not just about FTII. It is happening in a lot of higher education and cultural institutions,” one student told Mr Gandhi, who nodded in agreement.

“The nature of discussion is – you agree with us, then fine, if not, we will smash you,” the Congress leader agreed.

The BJP has accused the Congress of trying to whip up politics over the film institute protests. “Rahul Gandhi going to FTII is just for a photo opportunity and to politicize the issue,” said BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh.

Protesting students countered that it was the central government that had “made it political by making an appointment for political reasons.”

Ajay, a student, said: “We wrote letters to 50 members across party lines, including BJP leaders like Shatrughan Sinha – but they did not respond.”