ABVP targeting AUSU chief for resisting saffronisation: CPI

CPI today accused ABVP of "targeting" Allahabad University and first woman president of its students' union Richa Singh, facing inquiry into the validity of her admission as a research scholar, as the latter thwarted its efforts to "saffronise" the institution.
On the first day of its two-day national executive meeting here, CPI adopted a resolution on "Allahabad University development" stating that present happenings at AU should be seen in the context of previous issues concerning JNU, Hyderabad Central University, FTII among others.
"The national executive of the CPI expresses serious concern that Sangh Parivar's student organisation, ABVP, is targeting yet another university, Allahabad University as the democratically elected president of its students' union was not ready to allow saffronisation of varsity and curb autonomy of the institution," it said.

Singh had not allowed the "communally vocal" BJP MP Yogi Adityanath to visit the campus as he could have "vitiated" the communal situation in varsity and city, it stated.
"This irritated the ABVP most. They are also irritated because Richa Singh as the union president is fighting for gender equality and for democratic functioning of university and students' union," the resolution stated.
Speaking to PTI in Allahabad yesterday, Singh alleged that a recent inquiry ordered into the validity of her admission as a research scholar was a "politically motivated" exercise by her adversaries owing allegiance to ABVP who are receiving "tacit support" from varsity authorities.

The resolution accused ABVP of "cooking up charges of violation of rules in admission" by Singh.

"Now they have launched a vicious campaign of the character assassination of Richa Singh. By cooking up charges of violation of rules in admission, they are demanding her expulsion from the university. She is a Ph.D student," it stated.
In another resolution, CPI demanded passage of a
legislation granting 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament and state legislatures.
"Almost all political parties support the demand for 33 per cent representation of women in Parliament and state legislatures. But when it comes to legislation, except the Left, these political parties find one or other excuse to delay," the resolution said.

It alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "kept mum" when President Pranab Mukherjee suggested measures for women welfare.
"Even when Rashtrapati Shri Pranab Mukherjee urged measures for women employment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was present there kept mum. That indicate what the Modi Government is going to do," it said referring to President's speech at the first-ever national conference of Women Legislators in Delhi.