NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) general secretary Rohit Pawar has called for the removal of Pune’s Modern College principal Nivedita Ekbote from the state’s youth and sports policy committee, after a former Dalit student accused her of caste-based discrimination.
The student, a former BBA graduate of the college, alleged that his job verification documents were deliberately withheld due to his caste background, which affected his employment with a UK-based company. However, the college administration denied the claims, stating that the required documents had been sent to his employer and that the student had not lost his job.
Labeling the allegations as “baseless,” the institution maintained that it followed due process in handling the verification.
Despite the clarification, Rohit Pawar criticized the college, accusing it of promoting “Manuvadi” ideology and questioned the inclusion of such individuals in a committee responsible for shaping the state’s youth and sports policy.
“If people with casteist mindsets are part of the committee drafting Maharashtra’s youth policy, what future can our youth expect?” Pawar wrote on social media. He added that the panel should include progressive members who “help students secure jobs abroad, not those who cause them to lose opportunities due to caste prejudice.”
Pawar has demanded that the state government immediately remove controversial members from the committee and restructure it to ensure inclusivity and fairness.
