London School Of Economics: London School Of Economics: Indian student accuses LSE student union of xenophobia after being disqualified from elections | India News – Times of India

LONDON: An Indian student reading a master’s in international law at the London School of Economics (LSE) claims, after being disqualified from elections to the students’ union (LSESU), that he faced vicious racism for being Hindu and Indian on campus.
Karan Kataria (22), from Gurgaon, who did his first degree at NorthCap University, almost broke down as he spoke to TOI. He arrived in the UK last September to start his master’s. He is the first member of his family to go to university.
After standing to be LSESU general secretary, he claimed he was subjected to an orchestrated smear campaign in which he was branded a Hindu nationalist and accused of being racist, Europhobic, transphobic and Islamophobic in multiple student WhatsApp groups — despite there being no evidence of any of this. On the contrary, he advocates social harmony and positive change, he said. “Some individuals could not bear to see an Indian-Hindu leading LSESU,” he added.

On March 29, after the votes were in, he received a letter from the returning officer saying she had received multiple complaints that he was “a member of an extremist organisation” but she could not find any evidence of any intolerance or discriminatory behaviour by him. Instead, she found him guilty of breaching a two-metre rule — which he denies — and said he was disqualified from the contest.
“I was the only brown international student standing,” he said, explaining he had gathered mass support from Asian and African students.
Kataria appealed the decision, but the disqualification was upheld. James Refl has been announced as general secretary.
Kataria has not been able to sleep and does not feel comfortable walking through the campus. “I am concerned for my safety. I come from a small village and a middle-class farming family and I came to the UK as it is one of the oldest democracies in the world. I never dreamt I would get judged on my Hindu faith and Indian identity. It seems the UK considers Indian students to be cash cows. The LSESU’s actions show an authoritarian, undemocratic, xenophobic and biased mindset,” he said.
When he asked LSESU how many votes he got or to see CCTV footage showing he broke any rule, this was denied, he said. He has filed a complaint to the union about his character assassination, terming it a “hate crime”.
According to Kataria, when voting was happening, several female Indian students at the polling booth were accused of being “Hindu fascists” and “scumbags.”
LSESU confirmed Kataria was disqualified for breaking a rule which states candidates and campaigners must maintain a reasonable distance (around two metres) from anyone casting their vote. “We are confident that all decisions were followed according to due process and best practice,” it said.
AnLSE spokesperson said: “LSE is committed to a working and learning environment where people can achieve their full potential free of all types of harassment and violence.”