Pune varsity withdraws ‘Voice of Devendra’ competition notice after objection from NSUI

The Savitribai Phule Pune University has withdrawn the notification for an elocution competition under the title ‘Voice of Devendra’, after the NSUI, Congress’ student wing, opposed it claiming the varsity was trying to implement BJP’s “hidden” agenda.

The university’s National Social Scheme (NSS) wing had uploaded a notification, dated August 5, on its website and appealed to students to take part in the elocution competition organised under the title “Voice of Devendra”, taking inspiration from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The government-run university’s NSS coordinator, Sadanand Bhosale, said on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) that the varsity was not organising the competition.

“Three foundations — named Swarambh Foundation, IFELLOW Foundation and Nashik Pratishthan — are the organisers, who had written to the university that they are holding an elocution competition, under the title name ‘Voice of Devendra’, on the topic ‘Developed Maharashtra’. The NSS wing received the letter and we put the notification on the website, stating those who want to take part can register themselves for the competition,” he said.

Some outfits made an assumption that the NSS wing of the university is holding the competition, Mr. Bhosale said.

“We explained to them that we are not holding the competition and it was just posted so that interested students can take part, and now we have withdrawn the notification from the website,” he said.

Members of the NSUI on Tuesday (August 12, 2025) staged a protest in the university, demanding the notification be revoked.

“It seems that through such a competition, the university and the NSS wing are implementing BJP’s hidden agenda. We registered our protest and after facing opposition, the NSS wing of the varsity withdrew the notification,” NSUI member Akshay Kamble claimed.