Thu Jan 02 19:35:06 UTC 2025: **NSUI Demands Manmohan Singh College Naming, Sparking Political Debate**
NEW DELHI, January 3, 2025 – The upcoming foundation laying ceremony for Veer Savarkar College, a new Delhi University project, has ignited a political firestorm. The National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), affiliated with the Congress party, is demanding the college be named after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh instead.
NSUI national president Varun Choudhary sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, highlighting Singh’s contributions, including the Central Universities Act and the Right to Education Act. The NSUI further called for a college and a central university to be named in Singh’s honor, and for his life story to be incorporated into academic curricula.
The proposed naming of the college after Veer Savarkar has also drawn criticism from Delhi Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain, who suggested honoring a freedom fighter instead. He criticized the BJP for promoting figures who supported the British Raj. BJP leader Shehzad Poonawalla countered, accusing the Congress of insulting Savarkar.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stones for three new Delhi University projects on Friday, including the Veer Savarkar College in Najafgarh, an academic block in the East Campus, and another in the West Campus. The projects, costing over ₹600 crore, will feature state-of-the-art facilities. The Veer Savarkar College alone will cost approximately ₹140 crore and encompass 18,816.56 sq. m. The ceremony will be live-streamed. The debate over the college’s name continues to dominate political discourse.
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