Ramleela skit row: Amid social media outcry, AIIMS student body apologises

The AIIMS Student Association issued an apology on Sunday after videoclips of a Ramleela skit performed by some students of the institute drew widespread social media condemnation for allegedly hurting religious sentiments.

The skit, allegedly giving a modern spin to some characters of Ramayana with a comic flavour, was performed on the occasion of Dusshera by some first-year MBBS students near the hostel quadrangle at the AIIMS campus.

It caused outrage among netizens with many alleging it was disrespectful of religious sentiments and demanded action in the matter.

“A video clip of a Ramleela skit done by some students of AIIMS has been circulating on social media. On behalf of the students, we apologise for the conduct of this skit which was not meant to hurt anyone’s sentiments. We will ensure that no such activity takes place in the future,” AIIMS Student Association said in a tweet.

Taking note of the matter, the AIIMS administration held a discussion with the students, an official said, adding, “The students realizing the sensitivity of the issue have apologised issued a tweet. They have assured that such an incident won’t recur.”

The official further said the skit was not part of any official activity or event and the students had organised it on their own.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.

As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.

Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.

Digital Editor