New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised the issue of Indian student at Oxford University Rashmi Samant quitting as the student union leader over the racism scandal surrounding her past social media posts. The BJP leaders said the matter is being monitored closely, and will be taken up with the UK when required.
“As the land of Mahatma Gandhi, we can never ever turn our eyes away from racism. Particularly so when it is in a country where we have such a large diaspora. We have strong ties with the UK. We’ll take up such matters with great candour when required,” Jaishankar said in Rajya Sabha on Monday on the Oxford University row.
Jaishankar further added, “We will monitor these developments very closely. We will raise it when required and we will always champion the fight against racism and other forms of intolerance.”
Rashmi Samat, a 22-year-old Indian student from Udupi, became the students’ union president at the Oxford University in a historic feat. However, reports said she was forced to quit after faced severe backlash over some past social media posts on Holocaust and other issues. She was called out for being racist with her anti-Semitic posts.
BJP MP Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Rajya Sabha, “There appears to be a continuation of attitudes and prejudices from the colonial areas, especially in the UK. The recent case of Rashmi Samant, a student from Karnataka is a classic case in point.”