London: Satyam Surana, the Indian scholar who gained prominence for courageously retrieving the Tricolour amidst an assault on the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom by radicals last year, is currently denouncing purported hate and smear campaigns directed at him during this year’s student union elections at the London School of Economics.

Satyam has alleged that, shortly before the commencement of voting, a meticulously orchestrated campaign was launched against him. He contends that this campaign aimed to link him with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and branded him a ‘fascist,’ evidently with the aim of instigating a boycott against him and his electoral aspirations.

The Pune-native student, who has also practiced at the Bombay High Court for several months and is pursuing an LLM at the London School of Economics, with his program concluding later this year. Elucidating on the entire sequence of events, he elucidated that the LSE elections were announced in February and early March, and he submitted his candidacy for the position of general secretary.

“From March 14 to 15, we observed that my posters were being torn off, vandalized. We registered our grievances with the authorities. After replacing our posters, on the 16th, we discovered that some posters had been defaced. Crosses were marked on my countenance, and the phrase ‘anyone but Satyam’ was inscribed. I was marginalized,” Satyam disclosed to ANI.

“On the 17th afternoon, messages proliferated across all LSE groups. Indian associations, law school assemblies. The messages alleged, ‘This Satyam Surana is a BJP adherent, he espouses fascist ideologies, he harbors Islamophobic and transphobic sentiments’. The messages were highly incendiary and cast aspersions on the Indian government and the prevailing regime,” he appended.

Satyam accused radical factions of capturing screenshots of his posts on social media platform X, where he had merely lauded the BJP government, yet his posts were exploited with a malicious agenda to brand him a “fascist.” He also emphasized that his manifesto contained no political agendas, but solely addressed genuine campus issues.

Despite receiving resounding support initially, this vitriolic campaign thwarted his prospects. “Alongside my entire team, we traversed the entire campus. We reached out to various departments and elucidated our policies. I presented a meticulously crafted manifesto, devoid of any political overtones. It outlined the areas in need of improvement at LSE, advocated for a grievance redressal portal, and advocated for subsidized campus meals. We garnered support, with pledges of votes,” Satyam recounted.

“However, out of the three contenders, it was I who was singled out arbitrarily. When these messages commenced, my entire team was dumbfounded, we were thrown into disarray, and the collective morale of the team was shattered,” he elaborated.

Revisiting the incident at the Indian High Commission last year, Satyam remarked, “Sometime around early October, I garnered attention for retrieving the national flag outside the Indian High Commission amidst the presence of Khalistani protestors. I was fortunate to receive media coverage. National media channels interviewed me.”

He further noted that he was targeted for referring to Khalistanis as ‘militants’ in one of his posts. “This is my homeland. I will always advocate for my country. How does Indian politics relate to student union elections in the UK? My opinions and endorsements of my government are entirely subjective,” Satyam remarked.

The Indian scholar mentioned that his photograph with Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis — taken when he was invited by Fadnavis during his India visit — was exploited by extremist elements to insinuate his affiliation with the BJP. He also highlighted that since the smear campaign against him primarily targeted the ‘right wing,’ Satyam conjectures that the campaign was orchestrated by ‘left-wing’ factions.

“I was labeled a Neo-Nazi sympathizer, Right Wing, beyond the confines of the campus. When the message circulating labeled me as right wing off-campus, it is evident that the campaign was influenced and organized by left-wing elements,” he asserted.

When queried whether the hate campaign against him was initiated by an Indian or a foreigner, Satyam stated that the initial message he received was from an Indian, and the majority involved in this campaign were Indians. He added that this was not an arbitrary or individual campaign, but a “carefully orchestrated hate and toolkit campaign” involving individuals politically opposed to the incumbent BJP government in India.

Satyam even contends that those who targeted him belong to a faction unable to reconcile with India’s progress under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and hence propagate such baseless and malicious propaganda.

“The international community remains oblivious to the ground realities in India. Every international observer regards India and the current Prime Minister as exemplary, eminent figures. Our Prime Minister commands the highest approval ratings globally, we showcased our capabilities during the COVID crisis, and we are poised to become the third largest economy. Yet, regrettably, these factions unable to accept this reality are disseminating not just misinformation, but disinformation,” Satyam lamented.

However, despite amassing support in the initial phase of the campaign, Satyam failed to cross the finish line. He believes that the targeted and obstructive nature of his campaign tarnished his reputation. He also acknowledged that this campaign significantly impacted him and his life on campus, even after the elections concluded.

Nevertheless, he expressed gratitude for the support he received from many individuals who stood by him during this ordeal. Satyam emphasized that what troubles him most about this episode is that the majority of those perpetuating the hate campaign against him were fellow Indians.

“The most distressing aspect is that these were fellow Indian students disseminating these messages and challenging India’s sovereignty. How brazen can individuals be to propagate these messages? I am appalled that Indian students are forwarding messages that undermine the sovereignty and integrity of our nation,” he concluded.