Among those slamming Kanhaiya Kumar for failing for the 11th time and wasting the taxpayers’ money was socialite and businessman Suhel Seth. (Source: Express Photo by Ravi Kanojia) Among those slamming Kanhaiya Kumar for failing for the 11th time and wasting the taxpayers’ money was socialite and businessman Suhel Seth. (Source: Express Photo by Ravi Kanojia)

A message forward that is doing the rounds on the Internet, especially Twitter and WhatsApp, claims that Kanhaiya Kumar, former president of Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union and a PhD student, has failed 11 times because “sources claimed that his masters want him to stay in JNU till 2019 elections“. Socialite and businessman Suhel Seth was one among those slamming Kumar for wasting taxpayers’ money that goes into funding his education. “Someone told me that @kanhaiyajnusu has failed for the 11th time in JNU. Does that make him a worthy applicant to the @INCIndia party? And why the hell are we taxpayers funding this loser’s education or the lack of it?” he had tweeted. A common message that was, meanwhile, copy pasted by many on the micro-blogging site, as they contributed to ‘calling out’ Kumar was: “Kanhaiya Kumar has failed yet again, this is 11th time. Congratulations communists. Sources claimed that his masters want him to stay in JNU till 2019 elections.”

Kanhaiya Kumar has failed yet again, this is 11th time. Congratulations communists.

Sources claimed that his masters want him to stay in JNU till 2019 elections — Ravinder Sangwan (@Shanknaad) April 21, 2018

Someone told me that @kanhaiyajnusu has failed for the 11th time in JNU. Does that make him a worthy applicant to the @INCIndia party? And why the hell are we taxpayers funding this loser’s education or the lack of it? — SUHEL SETH (@suhelseth) April 22, 2018

JNU मे देशद्रोही कन्हैया कुमार 11वीं बार फैल, भाई फ़ोकट का दान मिल रहा है इन भिखारियों को पढने के लिए, असल आसतीन के सांप हैं जिन्हें संवैधानिक अधिकार की आड़ में भीख मिली जा रही है!! — ANUPAMशर्मा अधिवक्ता (@AnupamSharmaAdv) April 18, 2018

It worries me when people like Kanhaiya Kumar, age 31, says it is his constitutional right to get funded and complete his studies and that they should get more funds…. As a tax payer for last 20 years and middle class for my entire life.. I wonder — Shankar Manapragada (@shankiemr) April 24, 2018

Kanhaiya Kumar has failed yet again, this is 11th time. Congratulations communists.

Sources claimed that his masters want him to stay in JNU till 2019 elections. “@kanhaiyajnusu doob Maro Jamjam ke Pani me” — Aashu 🚩 (@AashuSpeak) April 22, 2018

Kanhaiya Kumar has failed yet again, this is 11th time. Congratulations communists.

Sources claimed that his masters want him to stay in JNU till 2019 elections — Ravinder Sangwan (@Shanknaad) April 21, 2018 https://images.indianexpress.com/2020/08/1x1.png

All this, until Kumar took to Twitter to state the obvious — that there are no exams to fail in, in a PhD course. Talking to indianexpress.com, Kumar said that it is very “unfortunate” that “they are now spreading fake news about studies.” ‘I think through this, they are trying to criminalise studies and education as a whole. They are trying to stigmatise the aspiration of those who want to avail education,” he said. He said, he is in his seventh and final year of the integrated MPhil-PhD programme that he had enrolled in 2011. His thesis, which is in its final stage, is on ‘social transformation in South Africa’ and will be submitted by July 21, 2018. “I would have submitted by thesis last year itself, but I was not given the visa to do the field trip (to South Africa) required to complete my thesis. So now, I will be submitting my work without doing the field trip,” he added.

He also tweeted to clarify that “to the disappointment of many, I have never failed any exam ever.”

Sensible people know that no university holds PhD exam. You submit a thesis. No university lets you stay enrolled after failing any exam 11 times. Its classic fake news presented without proof or common sense Also to the disappointment of many,I have never failed any exam ever😀 — Kanhaiya Kumar (@kanhaiyajnusu) April 22, 2018

Seth, realising that what ‘someone told him’ about Kumar was fake, posted a correction message. But then again, he seemed disappointed that as Kumar submits his thesis, there would be a “Dr Kanhaiya amidst us.”

This is his tweet.

I have just been told that the news of @kanhaiyajnusu having failed 11 times is FAKE. But then he still has to submit a thesis for his doctoral degree. There could be nothing more earth shattering to now have a Dr Kanhaiya amidst us. Fate will deal academia a deathly blow. — SUHEL SETH (@suhelseth) April 22, 2018

“Also, I am not forty-years-old, like they claim,” he said, during the telephonic interview, giggling as he said, at the lack of sensibility that prevailed in these ‘viral’ messages.

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