Pawn in Politics? MSU Student Speaks Out After Viral Dance Sparks Political Row

Key Points

A social media video of a cultural fest held at the Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) in Vadodara has gained traction on social media, and all for the wrong reasons. In the video being widely circulated across social media platforms, a girl clad in a saffron saree is seen dancing to the bollywood song “dhak dhak karne laga,” at a college event. Considered one of Vadodara’s most prestigious universities, the Sanskar-Sangam, a three-day cultural event, was organized by the BJP-backed student union Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at the university’s faculty of arts, in the CC Mehta auditorium.  

Objecting to the act,  Congress and its student wing NSUI (National Student’s Wing of India) has taken to widely circulating the video online, slamming the ABVP for organizing such a ‘abhadra’ and ‘vulgar’ dance performance at a supposed cultural event. NSUI leaders strongly condemned the ABVP for ruining the sanctity of a cultural event by allowing this “obscene” performance to take place. They further claimed that such performances under the banner of a cultural event are morally wrong and are against ‘sanskar.’

Urging suspension for those involved in this incident and calling for a ban on groups allegedly promoting inappropriate activities, NSUI cautioned that it would stage fierce agitation in retaliation if the needed action is not undertaken by authorities.

NSUI President Amar Vaghela commented, “MS University is a temple of education, not entertainment or obscenity. Such an act in a programme organised in the name of culture is extremely shameful.”

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In response, the ABVP has distanced themselves from the controversy, clarifying that the student organization had no part in the girl’s dance performance. In a statement, ABVP President Ved Trivedi said that the girl who performed on the stage was an independent performer, and that she wasn't part of the 140 students who had priorly registered for cultural performances such as traditional dance, drama, and walks.

Between the blame game and student politics, the girl in the video has been at the receiving end of harsh comments and social media scrutiny. Taking to social media, she posted a video to present her side of the story to the public. 

Maintaining that the video was circulated without her approval or consent, she appears visibly upset and shaken in the video. Speaking through tears, she remarked: “Hello, Jai Shri Ram. I am making this video because the dance I performed at the MSU Culture Fest went viral. Due to this, many people are saying that I have spread obscenity in the ‘Sanskari Nagari’ (cultured city) of Vadodara, even though I was wearing a simple, normal saree… Yes, my selection of the song may have been wrong, and I apologise to all of you for that. However, this is not such a massive issue that such an uproar should be created, as if I have committed treason.”

Distancing herself from any affiliation to either student party, she said that “she doesn't know the people from ABVP or NSUI.” She added, “I didn't know that dancing to a Bollywood song at a cultural fest would cause such an uproar. If I had known, I wouldn't have done it at all."

The girl accused the NSUI of using her as a collateral to a bid to outdo the political ABVP in their political gambit, which has caused her severe stress and disturbed her mental health. 

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“And these NSUI people have spread this so much that they didn't think about my mental health at all. What I would go through... what would happen to me when I hear all this about myself. Is it the first time a girl has danced to a Bollywood song? No, right? Only I know what I’m going through right now,” she continued in the video.

“Only I know what I am going through right now. I just want to say that if you post a video, please think about the girl first. I was not wearing obscene clothes; I was wearing a simple saree and presenting my art on stage. I am a normal student and have danced before; I didn’t think dancing to a Bollywood song would lead to claims that I have ‘violated traditions’. If you are all so cultured, then you should stop listening to Bollywood songs as well,” she said.

The student further stated, “It seems that instead of focusing on many other issues in the country or in Vadodara, people just want ‘mirch masala’ (sensationalism), which is why they targeted a girl… They put logos on the video saying ‘obscenity is being spread’ without thinking about me or asking for permission to post my personal video. You have simply used a girl as a tool to target the opposing political party. Again, I am really sorry that my song selection was wrong, but I did not do anything so serious that I deserve such severe criticism at such a large scale. Thank you.” 

Amid the growing controversy, a debate has arisen over how a seemingly innocent incident has been blown way out of proportion to suit one’s political interests. What began as a trivial cultural performance has spiralled into a highly polarised debate, with a young student bearing the brunt of public scrutiny. Her experience highlights how easily individuals can become collateral in larger political narratives, especially when social media amplifies outrage without context or consent.

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