Author: Manash Pratim Gohain
Publication:  The Times of India
Date: January 18, 2014
URL: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2014-01-18/delhi/46324148_1_mani-shankar-aiyar-alumnus-kirori-mal-college

On Friday senior Congressman and Rajya Sabha member Mani Shankar Aiyar not only mocked BJP's prime ministerial candidate but also targeted Hansraj College of Delhi University once again. In a reply to a tweet by senior journalist Swapan Dasgupta, "Will Stephanian's support me in declaring Mani Shankar Aiyar a non-alumnus of Stephen's," Aiyar, an alumnus of Stephen's, said: "I can't help it if Swapan wants to become an alumnus of Hansraj College."

 This is not the first time that the senior politician and former union cabinet minister has made such comments against Delhi University colleges. In 2011, he targeted Hansraj College in a spat with its alumnus, Union cabinet minister and party colleague Ajay Maken. He had also antagonized students and alumni of Kirori Mal College by declaring that actor Amitabh Bachchan was the "sole achievement" of KMC.

Aiyar was quite nonchalant about the entire affair when contacted by TOI. "That's in the Stephanian's joke book. Why are you wasting your time on this," he asked.

 But not all alumni of Hansraj are ready to treat this as a simple joke. Singer Palash Sen said: "Making fun of someone's alma mater is not in good taste. This is neither intellectual nor dignified. Who is he to decide which is a better college? It's sad that people who are running the country or public figures are making such statements. They should be careful."

 "That is Mani's arrogance and elitism. His sense of entitlement has gone berserk," said Dasgupta.

 Earlier, in September 2011, Aiyar's unprovoked remarks about KMC were delivered at a function at Stephen's, where a group of angry Hansraj students were waiting to accost him.