NEW DELHI: Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain on Saturday claimed that IIM Jammu is demanding explanations from students who missed an event on Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi birthday, warning them with a Rs 500 fine if they do not reply.On September 17, IIM Jammu hosted a “Deepak Lighting Ceremony” to mark PM Modi’s 76th birthday. Referencing an “email” sent to a student—a screenshot of which was shared by Hussain—the Congress leader asserted that participation in the event was compulsory.
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“Why should attendance at PM Modi’s birthday celebration be mandatory for students? Is this an academic responsibility at an IIM, or has PM Modi’s publicity been brought into the campus as a compulsory exercise?” he said in a post on X.Hussain stated that educational institutions should nurture independent minds, rather than compel students to attend political leaders’ celebrations or threaten them with penalties.“BJP’s publicity stunts should be kept out of our premier educational institutions,” the Congress leader added.The screenshot attached to his post noted that exemptions would only be considered on medical grounds, requiring an official written note from “Sanjeevni,” a central government-run free national telemedicine service. Students were given until 11:59 pm on Friday to submit their explanation, after which they would face the fine.IIM Jammu authorities did not immediately respond to allegations that the institute had issued notices to students who missed the event.