New Delhi: Delhi University vice-chancellor Yogesh Singh today (January 16) made his endorsement of the Narendra Modi government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) public at an event organised to launch the book, Modi vs Khan Market Gang – the title a reference to a political binary that the prime minister has used to attack critics.
Speaking at the event, Singh said, “Everyone must read this book as it reflects concerns for the nation’s interest and promotes patriotism. I often say at Delhi University that the role of our education system and universities is to foster patriotism. It is our fundamental duty to cultivate love for the nation.”
The book in question, which critics claim is a work of BJP propaganda, is authored by Ashok Shrivastav, a news anchor who works for the public broadcaster Doordarshan News. The event, held at the convention hall of the vice-chancellor’s office, was organised by the Council of Media and Public Policy and Research, along with the Silence Foundation, in collaboration with the Delhi University.
Modi vs Khan Market Gang, Ashok Shrivastav, Council for Media & Public Policy Research, 2024. Photo: Atul Ashok Howale
Singh’s praise for the book and his emphasis on ‘patriotism’ echoed the event’s underlying theme of promoting the BJP and Prime Minister Modi as synonymous with India. The vice-chancellor’s statements – which reflect the increasing politicisation of educational institutions in the country – are likely to prove controversial as Singh appeared to be using his position to advance the interests of the BJP.
Shrivastav, the book’s author, thanked Singh for his role in organising the event, referring to him as the “chief architect” of the programme. Shrivastav claimed that the “Khan Market gang” – a term used to describe critics of the Modi government – has spread from Delhi to New York, and that Modi is the symbol of India.
Shrivastav said, “The Khan Market gang has spread from Delhi to New York. The Khan Market gang refers to those who are bothered by the progress of the country. Narendra Modi is the symbol of India, and because of this, the targets of the Khan Market gang are always India and Narendra Modi.”
“The main objective of bringing this book to the university is to make educational centres, students and the teachers who shape them aware of the importance of these fake narratives. If students and teachers understand these fake narratives, then India can remain safe,” he added.
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Besides the principals of various colleges and students associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the event was attended by BJP leaders, including the party’s national co-organisation secretary Shiv Prakash and former MP Jyoti Mirdha.
Presented as a book launch, the programme criticised journalists and media houses that question the government. There were also attempts to promote media outlets that provide uncritical support to the Modi government. For instance, Singh praised Shrivastav extensively and encouraged the audience to watch his show ‘Do Tuk’ on DD News. He also stated that the programme itself was “an example of patriotism”.
While speaking about the book, Singh suggested how various global rankings, such as the hunger index, press freedom index and happiness index were allegedly being used to spread fake narratives. Notably, India is ranked 159 out of the 180 nations considered in the 2024 edition of the press freedom index.
“Modi’s journey was nothing short of a revolution, and people like us have contributed to this revolution. Despite massive efforts to defeat him, the public chose to elect him,” BJP leader Mirdha said at the event, in an attempt to praise Modi.
She added, “In the last election, a narrative was set that the BJP government would change the constitution if it came to power. However, the provision to amend the constitution is itself provided by the constitution, and it has been changed 130 times. For instance, the Panchayati Raj system and women’s reservation were introduced through constitutional amendments. People need to understand this. Those from the backward classes who previously claimed that they feared the BJP and said their reservations would end if Modi came to power now admit after the elections that people were fooled at the time.”
