Last week, Amit Shah was at Banaras Hindu University to inaugurate a seminar on Skandagupta Vikramaditya, the 5th century Gupta emperor. Addressing a gathering of academicians, the home minister said there was a need to rewrite India’s history from a new perspective. Why? Because history, as it’s taught today, doesn’t recognise contributions of people like VD Savarkar, the founding father of Hindutva whom the Bharatiya Janata Party, in its election manifesto for Maharashtra, has promised to award the Bharat Ratna. Shah exhorted new historians to rewrite the story of India’s “glorious past”. 

Shah’s speech didn’t impress any student group on the campus, except for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, which is affiliated to the BJP. They denounced the programme and Shah’s visit as “propaganda politics of the BJP”.

“At BHU, the administration denies permission for any student event. In contrast, BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders host seminars on the campus every day,” said Raj Abhishek of the Joint Action Committee, a coalition of student groups at the BHU. “Instead of addressing student issues, our administration is allowing the ruling party to use this campus for its propaganda politics.”

An open letter by a group of BHU students which has since gone viral on social media urged Shah to address the dire situation in India. People are killed and threatened in the name of religion, the National Register of Citizens has been violating the basic human rights of people, gender and caste-based violence, and hate crimes towards minorities are on an unprecedented rise–the letter pointed out. It also demanded the restoration of a democratic setup in Jammu and Kashmir. 

A screenshot of the letter

In his speech, Shah said Skandagupta Vikramaditya must be recognised in the history textbooks for his reforms in revenue collection, administration, and municipal works. He goes on to say that it is sad for today’s generation to not be aware of his contribution and valour and that Indian territory extended up to Afghanistan during his reign.

Speaking about contemporary global politics, the minister claimed India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had regained its “respect” on the international stage.

In times of misinformation, you need news you can trust. We’ve got you covered. Subscribe to Newslaundry and power our work.