According to a report published by The Indian Express, in contradiction to the stance of their mother party, the student wing of Congress, National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) has been circulating a diary in the Delhi University (DU) which terms the leftist organizations as ‘promoter’ of ‘Urban Naxalism’ and a backer of all separatist groups. The NSUI has been circulating these dairies in the run-up to the DU student union polls.

The dairy which also carries the NSUI logo and name has a message written in it by the National President of NSUI, Fairoz Khan. Khan’s message talked about how his organization is “empowering” the youth and the students with “progressive thoughts”.

The message also contained a pointed section titled – “Realise the Left”, under which a total of seven points were mentioned. The points mentioned how the ‘left’ promotes ‘urban Naxalism’ and ‘Urban casteism’ by looking at every issue through the lens of ‘Caste and backwardness’ and focus on the ‘bloodshed on campus’. The message also mentioned how the left has termed the Indian revolutionary, Mangal Pandey a ‘drug addict’.

This stance taken by the DU unit of NSUI is in stark contradiction to the approach their Mother Party, Indian National Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi has taken. Rahul Gandhi has come out in support of these organizations after the crackdown. He also took a dig at the government by tweeting that there is no place for any other NGOs but the RSS in today’s India. He also insinuated that these arrests are an attempt by the incumbent government to suppress dissent.

There is only place for one NGO in India and it’s called the RSS. Shut down all other NGOs. Jail all activists and shoot those that complain. Welcome to the new India. #BhimaKoregaon — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 28, 2018

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The All India Student’s Association (AISA) DU president, Kawalpreet Kaur said the NSUI was branding all dissenters as ‘Urban Naxals’. She said that there is no difference between ABVP and NSUI when it comes to dissent.

AICC (All India Congress Committee) in-charge of NSUI Ruchi Gupta took a differed view of the situation. She clarified that the official standpoint of the NSUI is not what has been printed in that diary. She also stated that the printing of that diary has also been stopped.

“This has been put out by some junior person in the office where 300 people are currently working. It’s not possible for me to review every single that is written. Fairoz’s message may have gone out with the diary but it certainly doesn’t mean we’re reviewing everything. It’s election season, we’re all working long hours. Our official stand is against using terms such as ‘Urban Naxalism”, The All India Congress Committee member stated.

The publication may indicate the growing divide between the youth workers of the party and the political leadership of the Indian National Congress, who are constantly giving patronage to the forces antithetical to the Indian Nation. This publication is reflective of the new Indian mindset which will no longer let political will supersede national security.