Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has written to the London School of Economics (LSE) asking its administration to step in after a student alleged he was disqualified from contesting the student union elections following a "smear campaign" over his Indian and Hindu identity.
The LSE has written back saying bullying, discrimination and harassment are completely unacceptable. "We are aware of the reports that you raise in your letter, and we are investigating them," wrote Eric Neumayer, President and Vice Chancellor of LSE, London.
In his letter dated April 5 to Neumayer, Khattar said, "I have been informed that Karan Kataria, a postgraduate student in law at the London School of Economics and Political Science is facing discrimination and harassment in the institute."
Khattar has posted his letter on Twitter.
My letter to London School of Economics regarding the safety and well-being of Mr. Karan Kataria and their response.@karanatLSE pic.twitter.com/QdtsD2D4PO
— Manohar Lal (@mlkhattar) April 6, 2023
Kataria (22), who is from Haryana, has alleged that he was disqualified last week from contesting the LSE Students' Union (LSESU) poll over "baseless" allegations and without being given a chance to fully state his case.
"I have been informed that Kataria was disqualified from elections to the post of general secretary of the London School of Economics Students' Union.
"I have been informed that this disqualification was not substantiated with reasons and was instead due to discrimination on account of race and beliefs. I could sense that his mother was in severe mental distress when his mother and sister came to meet me," the chief minister wrote.
Khattar further wrote that he was concerned "that this incident and its effects will affect Kataria's studies".
"Kataria is a brilliant student as evidenced by his admission to your prestigious institute. Due to the recent events, he has been feeling unsafe within the institute campus. In such a situation, it is necessary that the administration steps in and takes care of his safety and well-being.
"...May I request you to look into this matter and kindly ensure Kataria's safety and protect him from discrimination on account of his beliefs or race," he said.
Khattar also put on his Twitter handle Neumayer's response given on the same day to the CM's letter.
"Thank you for your letter of 5 April concerning the recent LSE Students' Union election and the situation regarding Karan Kataria," wrote Neumayer, who stated categorically that bullying, discrimination and harassment are completely unacceptable, and that LSE is committed to robustly and swiftly investigating and tackling any such instances.
He wrote with regards to specific concerns raised about the LSESU election.
"The SU has informed us that a candidate was disqualified from the leadership election for breaking election rules, and we understand an external review of the election proceedings will take place in due course.
"We will continue to monitor this situation closely and offer support wherever it is needed. Please be assured that we take Kataria's wellbeing, and the wellbeing of all our students, with the utmost seriousness," Neumayer said in his letter.
He also mentioned that LSE has a range of ways that instances of bullying can be reported, including a dedicated online portal.
"More broadly, LSE is totally committed to ensuring the safety and security of our students. We have a range of services to support our students' wellbeing and studies, with experienced staff and peers on-hand to provide advice and assistance, including over the Easter closure. We urge anyone who needs it to take up the support that is available," he wrote.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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