FTII row: Making it a political issue is biggest mistake, says Rajyavardhan Rathore

New Delhi, Aug 3: At a time when nearly 80 students of the beleaguered FTII are staging a demonstration in the national capital to highlight their demands, MoS information and broadcasting Rajyavardhan Rathore on Monday said Centre is open for discussions with the students but it is against its politicisation.

"Government open for discussions with FTII students. Discussions on demands raised by FTII students going on for some time, Government very liberal towards students," Rajyavardhan Rathore told media persons outside the Parliament.

The students are demanding removal of actor and BJP member Gajendra Chauhan as the institute's chairman.

The students' agitation assumed a political hue last Friday with the visit of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi to the FTII campus where during an interaction with them, he attacked the RSS ideology alleging that it was systematically promoting "mediocrity" in various institutions.

Raising the issue of Rahul Gandhi's visit to the FTII institute in Pune, the minister said, the matter has either taken a political turn or its a politically motivated strike from the start.

"A section of students wants to continue with strike even after Government held discussions with students to resolve the issue. Rahul Gandhi's Pune visit made it clear, either this matter has taken a political turn or it's a political strike from the beginning," he added.

"Making this issue (FTII) political is biggest mistake, probably it reveals the source of strike. Somewhere a small segment of students was being misled by a political party or a person," he further told reporters.

The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has maintained that it will not hold further talks with the students on their demands until the strike is called off and they returned to academics.

OneIndia News

(With inputs from agencies)