India "can never ever turn our eyes away from racism", Foreign Minister Dr. S Jaishankar said in parliament today after a BJP leader raised the topic of Rashmi Samant, the Indian student who resigned as the president of the Oxford University's student union last month after controversy over some of her past remarks and references which were branded as "racist" and "insensitive". The minister said India will raise such matters with Britain "when required".
India can ‘never turn eyes away from racism’, says Jaishankar on Oxford University row
Last month, Rashmi Samant resigned as the president of the Oxford University student union after controversy on her old social media posts. Updated Mar 24, 2021 · 11:50 am Former Oxford University Student Union President Rashmi Samant. | Rashmi Samant/Twitter
Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told Parliament on Monday that India can “never turn eyes away from racism” and will “champion the fight” against it, the
Hindustan Times reported.
Jaishankar’s response came after Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha MP Ashwini Vaishnaw alleged in the Rajya Sabha that Rashmi Samant, an Indian student who quit from the post of the Oxford University student union president, was forced to do so as she was cyber bullied.
Indian foreign minister suggests ousting of Oxford student union president was due to racism
Rashmi Samant resigned after Colleges passed motions of no confidence following backlash over her social media comments
15 March 2021 • 7:45pm
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told MPs he would be willing to take up the issue with Britain
Credit: Indian Government/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Oxford University s student union has become embroiled in a diplomatic row after India s foreign minister suggested that the recent ousting of its president was due to racism.
Rashmi Samant, a graduate student reading for an MSc in energy systems at Linacre College, was elected to the role in February after winning 65 per cent of the vote.
Updated: Monday, March 15, 2021, 17:09 [IST]
New Delhi, Mar 15: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said India will take up with the UK when required the alleged incidents of racism in Britain.He also described India as the land of Mahatma Gandhi and said it can never turn its eyes away from racism.
S Jaishankar As 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 ve strong ties with UK. We ll take up such matters with great candour when required, he said.
Indian-origin Rashmi Samant was the first Indian woman to be elected as the President of the Oxford University Students Union. However, her achievement was short-lived as she was forced to resign within a few days.
A student of MSc energy systems at Oxford University, Samant was forced to resign within five days of her appointment over several of her social media posts which were labelled to be anti-Semitic and racist.