US Speaker reacts to Indian-American Megha Vemuri’s pro-Palestine speech: ‘Have your children avoid MIT’

Indian-American scholar Megha Vemuri is on the middle of a significant controversy as she spoke in opposition to Israel in her MIT graduation speech.

Speaker Mike Johnson reacted to Indian-origin Megha Vemuri’s pro-Palestine speech on the graduation ceremony and referred to as it ignorant, hateful and morally bankrupt. Johnson additionally took MIT to process as he questioned why the institute has not correctly responded to it. The Speaker was reacting to a publish by MAGA commentator Megyn Kelly who criticized Vemuri’s apathy to the Jewish college students attending the ceremony. “have your children avoid MIT & the Ivy League at all costs,” Johnson wrote. “So this woman hijacks the MIT graduation to make the whole thing about her personal beliefs about Israel, any insult to the Jewish students or others in attendance be damned. Selfish, self-aggrandizing, disrespectful & RUDE,” Megyn Kelly wrote on X as Megha Vemuri’s speech condemning her alma mater for its Israeli ties drew blended response — a number of of her classmates cheered and likewise protested Friday as MIT banned Vemuri from attending the remainder of the occasion. MAGA commentators, some Indian commentators and plenty of Jewish college students criticized Vemuri and questioned why she wanted to do this.Vemuri gave a special speech to the MIT administration which was authorized however on the stage, she delivered a special one praising her classmates for protesting in opposition to Israel. “Last spring, MIT’s undergraduate body and graduate student union voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with the genocidal Israeli military. You called for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. And you stood in solidarity with the pro-Palestinian activists on campus. You faced threats, intimidation and suppression coming from all directions, especially your own university officials,” Vemuri mentioned.Jewish college students walked out of the speech as Vemuri accused MIT of being complicit within the “ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people”.

What MIT mentioned on Vemuri’s speech

Vemuri was barred from attending the remainder of the occasion whereas MIT mentioned they help free expression however they do not stand by what Vemuri did. “With regard to MIT’s Commencement 2025 activities, the speech delivered by a graduating senior at Thursday’s OneMIT Commencement Ceremony was not the one that was provided by the speaker in advance. While that individual had a scheduled role at today’s Undergraduate Degree Ceremony, she was notified that she would not be permitted at today’s events,” an MIT spokesperson mentioned Friday. “MIT supports free expression but stands by its decision, which was in response to the individual deliberately and repeatedly misleading Commencement organizers and leading a protest from the stage, disrupting an important Institute ceremony,” MIT mentioned.