Collegians forced to listen to speech of Union minister Piyush Goyal's son, claim Oppn MLAs
Mumbai, Mar 23: The opposition Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday alleged students of a college in Mumbai's Kandivali area were forced to listen to the speech of Dhruv Goyal, the son of Union minister Piyush Goyal, who is the BJP's Mumbai North Lok Sabha candidate.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray alleged students' IDs were confiscated to force them to attend the event where Goyal junior delivered the speech, while NCP(SP) MLA Awhad uploaded a video on X in which a student can be seen raising an objection.
Thakur College of Science and Commerce, post the controversy, said the event aimed to encourage students, particularly first time voters, to participate in the upcoming general elections but added "the matter", possibly a reference to students being forced to attend, was "under review".
The college also accused Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi of "disseminating a manipulated video pertaining to the interaction seemingly with political motivations".
Thackeray, in his message on X, slammed the Union government and said it was sending a message to the world that it does not wish the country remains a democracy anymore.
"Here, the IDs of the students were confiscated to force them to attend a talk by the son of a BJP candidate in North Mumbai a day before their exams. Because obviously even on passing, under this govt, where are the jobs? Rather waste their time on lectures taken by sons of candidates," he said mocking the ruling party.
Will the principal be suspended for such a horrible act, Thackeray asked.
In a statement, Kandivali-based Thakur College of Science and Commerce principal CT Chakraborty said the institution hosted an event aimed at encouraging students, particularly first time voters. to participate in the upcoming general elections.
She blamed Chaturvedi for the "manipulated video" of the event and alleged "this led to an unwarranted controversy overshadowing what was otherwise a successful and well received event".
The engagement and dialogue with Dhruv Goyal were positively received by students, Chakraborty claimed in the statement.
"We wish to clarify that during the post-event interaction, a query was raised by a student on a topic that Dhruv Goyal was not previously acquainted with. The matter is under review by our institution," the college principal said.
The college also posted a video of Dhruv Goyal apologizing to the students saying it (taking IDs to get them to attend the event) won't happen again.
Awhad said he would help students in every way if they are harassed by college authorities over this episode.
"When students protest, revolution begins," the NCP (SP) MLA added.
Meanwhile, Chaturvedi called the college's allegation against her laughable.
In a statement, she said the college had organised an event on their campus ostensibly under the garb of 'voter awareness campaign' and had invited Dhruv Goyal, son of Union Minister Piyush Goyal who also happens to be the candidate from that constituency, to speak to the students.
A voter awareness campaign cannot have the presence of only one candidate's family member, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader pointed out.
The students objected to being made to compulsorily attend the event so they shared a video on various social media handles, Chaturvedi said, adding it was widely reported in the media that their ID cards were taken away to ensure participation.
"They (students) also mentioned they had an exam the next day, which clearly the host of the event is heard stating. I shared a video which was widely shared by media. However Thakur College has accused me of manipulating the video, which is laughable," she said.
Chaturvedi wrote to the college that the video she tweeted was from a news handle and not manipulated.
"You have raised a serious charge against me and I can file a defamation (suit) against your institution," she warned and sought an apology.
The regime is sending out a message to the world on a daily basis, that they don’t wish the country to be a democracy anymore.
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) March 23, 2024
Here, the IDs of the students were confiscated to force them to attend a talk by the son of a bjp candidate in North Mumbai… a day before their exams.… https://t.co/amiHuH5RQn
Hope these students aren’t suspended for speaking up! https://t.co/IG0dtf1Iln
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) March 23, 2024
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Shashi Tharoor calls for regulation and taxation instead of banning online gaming
New Delhi(PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday criticised the government’s move to ban online money gaming, warning that such a step would only push the industry underground and strengthen criminal networks.
He also said he had not studied the three Constitution amendment bills seeking to provide a framework for the removal of prime ministers, Union ministers, chief ministers and state ministers detained on serious criminal charges in any detail.
“On the face of it, it is difficult to say it has any problem, but obviously if anyone does something wrong they should not be a minister anyway. I don’t know if there is any other motive,” he remarked.
Discussing the bill seeking to prohibit and regulate online gaming introduced in the Lok Sabha, he said, "I had written a very long article on the argument that by banning online gaming we are simply driving it underground, whereas it could be a useful source of revenue for the government if we legalise it, regulate it and tax it."
He added that many countries have studied the issue in detail and concluded that regulation and taxation can generate funds for social causes, while bans merely enrich “criminal mafias”.
In a post on X, Tharoor recalled that he had “gone on record in 2018 urging the government to legalise, regulate and tax online gaming, rather than drive it underground by banning it, which will merely enhance the profits of the mafia”.
“It’s a pity that the government seems to have derived no lessons from the experience of other countries that have considered this issue,” he wrote.
He added that the bill should at least have been referred to a parliamentary committee “to consider all the pros and cons before rushing it into law”.
The proposed bill prohibits online money gaming and its advertisements, prescribing imprisonment or fines, or both, for violators. It differentiates such games from eSports and online social games, while calling for their promotion.
1/2 I went on record in 2018 urging the government to legalise, regulate and tax online gaming, rather than drive it underground by banning it, which will merely enhance the profits of the mafia. https://t.co/KYi2aTxDQQ
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 20, 2025
