BJP Vs Congress Over DU’s New Veer Savarkar College As NSUI Urges PM Modi To 'Name It After Manmohan Singh'
The Veer Savarkar College, named after a prominent yet controversial Indian freedom fighter, will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 140 crore in Roshanpura, Najafgarh.
As Delhi University is set to name one of its upcoming colleges after Veer Savarkar, a political row has erupted over it with Congress's student wing demanding that the college be named after late former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh instead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the college on Friday.
The new DU college will be made following an approval by the university's executive council in 2021 and is part of a larger initiative to establish three new colleges in Najafgarh and Dwarka, including a law college. The Veer Savarkar College, named after a prominent yet controversial Indian freedom fighter, will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 140 crore in Roshanpura, Najafgarh.
The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), a Congress-affiliated body, has urged PM Modi to name the college after Manmohan Singh, who recently passed away at the age of 92. The NSUI, in its letter, demanded that a central university be named after the former PM and his life journey be included in the curriculum.
"He established numerous universities and brought the Central Universities Act. A Central University must also be dedicated to his name. His visionary leadership in education transformed India. Let’s honor his legacy," NSUI president Varun Choudhary said in a post on X, tagging PM Modi.
Dear @narendramodi Ji,
— Varun Choudhary (@varunchoudhary2) January 2, 2025
As you inaugurate a college in the name of VD Savarkar, NSUI demands the new DU college be named after Former PM Dr. Manmohan Singh Ji.
He established numerous universities and brought the Central Universities Act. A Central University must also be… pic.twitter.com/jtghlIjrE6
Congress Vs BJP Over DU's New College
The Congress has slammed the BJP over the decision, accusing the party of attempting to "legitimise" Savarkar's role as a freedom fighter. The grand old party also cited Savarkar's controversial history and the allegations of his collaboration with the Britishers during the colonial era, News 18 reported.
Criticising the move, Congress MP Naseer Hussain said, "It would have been good if the college was named after freedom fighters who laid down their lives for the country. Those loyal to the British government and who acted as police informers are now being legitimised as freedom fighters by the BJP. But everyone knows the reality."
The BJP has defended DU's decision, saying that it will welcomes the move as it honours Savarkar.
"Only Congress knows which leaders it respects. Veer Savarkar was a freedom fighter. If Delhi University is naming its college in his honour, then we welcome it," Delhi BJP leader Virendra Sachdeva remarked.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Januray 3, will lay down the project's foundation stone in addition to two other initiatives, including an academic block in western campus at Dwarka and another one in the eastern campus at Surajmal Vihar in east Delhi. Together, these projects will be completed at an estimated cost of Rs 600 crore.
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