Lucknow, June 29 (IANS) Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday raised questions over the "scholarship problems" faced by Dalit students in colleges affiliated to Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. Claiming that uncertainty is looming large over the education of 3,500 Dalit students, she sought an immediate intervention of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath into the matter. Taking to social media platform X, Mayawati said the government's "failure" to timely disburse scholarships to thousands of SC/ST students of colleges across several districts affiliated with Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh University, Aligarh, has led to "widespread anxiety and anger among people".

She claimed that, as per information received, despite repeated correspondence by the university and district administration, the "insensitivity and negligence" of the Social Welfare Department in Lucknow have led to a grave threat looming over the education of approximately 3,500 Dalit students. Asserting that the aforementioned university in Aligarh was established through the special efforts of Chief Minister Adityanath, Mayawati expressed hope that he will take a keen interest in its smooth functioning and urgently resolve this "serious issue". Notably, for the last several days, students of Raja Mahendra Singh University of Aligarh have been leading an agitation for scholarships to Dalits.

The university's officials said they will soon find a solution to the issue. Reacting to the matter, Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Azad said he was extremely distressed and angered by the "humiliation and discrimination" meted out to Scheduled Caste students. "The Scheduled Caste students were treated unfairly regarding the right to scholarship, and an attempt was also made to humiliate them," he claimed. "According to the students, when they approached the Vice Chancellor regarding the rejection of their scholarship forms, they were insulted based on their attire and social background. A student was told that you are a labourer's son; you should have been wearing slippers," Azad said.

Slamming the officials for "inhumane" behaviour, Azad said it violates Articles 15 and 17 of the Indian Constitution. He urged the UP government and the university administration to conduct a high-level probe into the "rejected" scholarship forms of the Dalit students and an independent judicial investigation into "insults and threats" faced by the Dalit students. Nagina MP said he will raise the issue in Parliament and streets as well, claiming that it was not just a fight of students, but for the Constitution and social justice.