Skit organised at Jain University attracts 50 complaints, 2 FIRs

The dean, principal and performers, besides the skit writer and officials of the university’s cultural committee are named in the FIR

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: As many as 50 police complaints and two FIRs have been filed by various Dalit factions after a college contingent from Jain University’s Centre for Management Studies (CMS) performed an allegedly “incredibly” casteist and insensitive skit.

Six students who were part of the skit have been suspended by the university management. As criticism against the skit grew online, a complaint was filed on Thursday, before the Superintendent of Police, Maharashtra, by Aakshay Bansode, State Member of the Vanchit Bahujan Yuva Aaghadi.

Following this, a second complaint was filed in Bengaluru by the state social welfare department. Along with this, over 50 other police complaints were filed by members of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) across all districts of Karnataka. An FIR seeks “action against the management of Jain College under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act of 1989”.

The BSP’s Karnataka unit has said that the skit put forth the “casteist mindset of Jain University, which has been named after Saint Mahaveer who taught the principles of an egalitarian society". The complaint letter reads: “The video that has gone viral across the state has hurt the sentiments of lakhs of people.”

The dean, principal and students who performed, besides the skit writer and officials of the university’s cultural committee have been named in the FIR booked by the assistant director of Karnataka’s social welfare department. Congress has also taken up the issue and has demanded action from the commissioner of police. On Sunday, various Dalit organisations protested in front of the campus condemning the insult to Dr Ambedkar and the Dalit community.

The management of the university issued an unconditional apology after the video of the clips from the skit went viral on various social media platforms. They have also said that an internal investigation has been initiated over the matter and a disciplinary committee constituted to probe it in-depth.