A student from Vadodara has issued an apology after a video of her dancing to a Bollywood song during an event at Maharaja Sayajirao University triggered outrage and a political controversy.
The video shows the student, dressed in a saree, performing to the song Dhak Dhak Karne Lagaa at the CC Mehta Auditorium during the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad’s (ABVP) Sanskar Sangam event. It went viral on social media, drawing sharp reactions.Facing criticism online, the student later released a video defending herself, stating that her performance was not vulgar and that she was simply dancing on stage in traditional attire.
However, she acknowledged that selecting the song might have been a mistake and apologised for it.She also alleged that members of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) circulated the video for political purposes and claimed her social media account was suspended after she shared her clarification.
In the emotional video, the student broke down, saying the controversy had affected her mental health. She questioned why an “ordinary student” was being targeted while more serious issues were overlooked and denied that her act disrespected Vadodara’s cultural values.
The incident has since escalated into a political face-off. ABVP’s Gujarat state general secretary Devansh Brahmabhatt accused the NSUI and Congress of sharing the video without the student’s consent and demanded an apology for hurting her dignity.
Reacting to the allegations, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Nishant Rawal raised questions about the organisers’ role. He argued that since the event was organised by ABVP, its members should have intervened if the performance was considered inappropriate.
“When the programme was organised by ABVP and such a song was played on stage in their presence, why wasn’t it stopped?” Rawal asked, adding that the viral video has sparked concerns about the message being conveyed to the youth.