AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday criticised reports that students at IIT Delhi were instructed on how much to bow before Prime Minister Narendra Modi while receiving medals during the institute's 57th convocation ceremony. Owaisi also objected to reports that students were asked to stand during the recitation of Vedic chants at the ceremony, arguing that such instructions went against constitutional principles. “Media reports indicate that the students there were told how much they should bow their necks when they meet the Prime Minister, and at the same time, the media has also reported that everyone will have to stand when Vedic mantras are recited,” Owaisi said.
Cites Articles 28 and 51A
The Hyderabad MP invoked Article 28 of the Constitution, which deals with religious instruction in educational institutions, while questioning the reported requirement concerning Vedic chants. Owaisi also cited Article 51A(h), which lists developing scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform among the fundamental duties of citizens. He argued that instructing students on how much they should bow before the Prime Minister and requiring them to stand during Vedic chants ran contrary to these constitutional principles.
‘National interest means opposing wrong steps’
Owaisi urged students across the country to question government decisions they believed were wrong, saying dissent should also be viewed as part of acting in the national interest. “I remind all these students of India, both male and female, that national interest also means standing up against any government whenever it takes a wrong step,” he said.
Modi attends IIT Delhi convocation
Prime Minister Modi attended IIT Delhi's 57th convocation on Saturday as the chief guest and presented the institute's highest honours to meritorious students. More than 3,000 graduating students, including 587 PhD scholars, were to be awarded degrees at the ceremony. Modi presented honours including the President's Gold Medal, Director's Gold Medal, Shankar Dayal Sharma Gold Medal and Perfect Ten Gold Medals. During his address, Modi urged the graduating students to remain curious, embrace technological change and continue learning beyond their formal education. The Prime Minister also inaugurated ‘Param Pragya’, an AI-powered high-performance supercomputing facility established at IIT Delhi's Sonipat campus.