COIMBATORE: A police complaint has been filed against S Ranjithkumar, the Nilgiris coordinator of MY Bharat (Mera Yuva Bharat), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, after he allegedly made students fill a form disclosing their caste details during a blood donation camp organised by the state health department at the Government Arts College in Ooty on Wednesday.
A video showing students filling their caste details in the form issued by MY Bharat sparked outrage after it went viral on social media. The principal of the college filed a complaint on Wednesday with the Udhagamandalam town police seeking action against Ranjithkumar on the grounds of cheating and entering the college without his permission. According to police sources, an inquiry is on and no FIR has been filed yet.
The 70-second video purportedly shows forms bearing the national emblem and titles ‘My Bharat – Nilgiris’ and ‘Ministry of Youth Affairs’ being issued to students.
‘Collected caste details by misleading the students’
The forms had rows seeking details such as a student’s caste (SC/ST/OBC/GEN), name, address, age, gender, educational qualification, and contact number.
The video showed that as many as eight students had filled in their caste details on the form. One of them, who was seen recording the video, questioned why caste details were being sought at a blood donation camp and asked whether the donated blood would be collected based on the donor’s caste.
When contacted, college principal J Ebanasar told TNIE that the blood donation camp was held to supply blood to the Government Medical College Hospital in the Nilgiris, and 53 students donated blood at the camp.
“After inaugurating the camp, I left the place. Students registered their names, ages and blood groups only in the register maintained by the health department. Meanwhile, Ranjithkumar came there and collected details from the students, including their caste details, without my knowledge. Earlier, they had sought permission to conduct the camp inside the college, but I refused,” he recalled.
Stating that collecting caste details is against the right to privacy, Ebanasar said, “He (Ranjithkumar) collected the details by misleading the students and entering the college without permission. I have lodged a police complaint against him.”
