St Xavier's principal sends email criticising Modi's Gujarat model; BJP complains to EC

NEW DELHI: Lashing out at the principal of St Xavier's College Mumbai for his controversial advisory to students which is critical of Narendra Modi's 'Gujarat Model' of development, BJP on Wednesday complained to the Election Commission.

Demanding an 'immediate withdrawal of the statement' issued by Father Frazer Mascarenhas, BJP alleged that the principal's email to students is a violation of model code of conduct.

In its letter to the Election Commission, BJP wrote, "Xaviers is a government funded institute and the Principal of this institute is a Maharashtra State Government fundable position. The activity in his capacity being a Principal is an attempt to influence the voters. This is a clear violation of the model code of conduct. BJP would have appreciated if Fr Mascarenhas woud have discussed BJP and taken its view on Gujarat model to give a fair assessment. However, he didn't contact BJP to get our side of view."

Balbir Punj of BJP said, "A Father's political opinion should be his own and personal and he is welcome to exercise it. But, to influence the students and to motivate them or pressurise them to vote in a particular manner is a complete misuse of the institution and also the institution of the Principal." "In all fairness, this Father should resign and join Congress," he said.

The principal's email to his students which is also posted on the college website reads, "All the Human Development Index indicators and the cultural polarisation of the population show that Gujarat has had a terrible experience in the last 10 years.

It acknowledges Congress's Food Security and Rojgar Yojana schemes. Efforts like the Rojgar Yojana and the Food Security Act have been called "election sops", it said adding "some of our best social scientists like Amartya Sen and Jean Dreze have supported these as necessary in the emergency economic situation the country and the world is facing."

The note advises students not to support leaders who are a threat to secular fabric of India. "The prospect of an alliance of corporate capital and communal forces coming to power constitutes a real threat to the future of our secular democracy.

However, talking to PTI, principal Father Frazer Mascarenhas, defended his action, saying his note was not against any specific individual or party.

"I have not mentioned any particular individual or organisation in my communication. It was intended only to serve as a broad understanding before students exercised their right to vote," he said. "There's nothing more to the letter," Father Mascarenhas said.

(With inputs from PTI)