London: An Indian student Satyam Surana, who came to the spotlight after picking up the tricolour from the road, defying the attack at the Indian High Commission in the United Kingdom by extremist elements last year, alleged on Tuesday hate campaigns against him during the student union elections at London School of Economics (LSE) this year. 

Satyam claimed that those who targeted him are part of that group that can't digest the success of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and hence spread such false and malicious propaganda.

He said that LSE elections were declared in February and early March and he filed the nomination for the post of general secretary. He further claimed that just 12 hours of the voting process, a very ‘well-planned’ campaign was launched against him, linking him to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and calling him a 'facist' to boycott his campaign. 

“From 14-15th of March, we noticed that my posters were being ripped off, and torn. We complained to the authorities. After we replaced our posters, on the 16th, we saw that some posters were defaced. There were crosses on my face, it was written 'anyone but Satyam'. I was cancelled out,” said Satyam.  

“On the 17th afternoon, there were messages in all groups of LSE. Indian groups, law school groups. The messages claimed, 'This Satyam Surana is a BJP supporter, he is a fascist person, an Islamophobe, transphobe. The messages were so seditious and contentious of the Indian government and the current establishment,” he further said. 

The Pune-born student practices at the Bombay High Court for some months and is pursuing an LLM at the London School of Economics with his course ending later this year.

He further alleged that radical elements also took screegrabs of his X posts where had merely praised the policies launched by the BJP government. But his posts were used as a tool to spread ‘malicious’ agenda to call him a “fascist.”

He further said that he was targeted for calling Khalistanis as 'terrorists' in one of his posts.

"See, this is my country. I will always be an advocate for my country. How is Indian politics relevant to the student union elections in the UK? My views and endorsements of my government are entirely my opinion," Satyam added.