PDIP Denies BEM Bersatu's Accusations of Controlling Tiyo Ardianto
The Central Executive Board of PDIP has denied allegations made by the BEM Bersatu alliance regarding the party’s alleged closeness to former UGM Student Executive Board (BEM) Chairman, Tiyo Ardianto, who has recently drawn scrutiny due to his various criticisms.
PDIP Spokesperson Guntur Romli stated that the allegations of Tiyo’s closeness to PDIP are nothing more than forced ‘conspiracy theories’. Gunrom, as he is affectionately known, emphasised that the statements made by BEM Bersatu are baseless slander.
“The accusation linking student protests against the Free Nutritious Meal (MBG) Programme to PDI Perjuangan is baseless, absurd, and harms the integrity of the student moral movement,” Gunrom said when contacted on Wednesday (17/6).
Gunrom highlighted several points from the BEM Bersatu press conference, including the claim that his party is affiliated with several protests opposing the MBG programme involving Tiyo.
Furthermore, he rejected the assumption that such closeness is based solely on the use of a Fortuner vehicle belonging to Tiyo. According to Gunrom, concluding that Tiyo’s vehicle ownership implies a relationship with PDIP is a logical fallacy.
In their statement, BEM Bersatu concluded that Tiyo’s affiliation with PDIP was evidenced by a Fortuner vehicle. The vehicle, which is currently Tiyo’s daily transport, is said to belong to an individual named Siti Isnaeni.
She is the sister of retired General Setyo Sularso, who is the in-law of Andika Perkasa. The latter is a PDIP cadre and was a member of the Ganjar-Mahrig victory team in the 2024 Presidential Election, as well as a PDIP candidate for the Central Java Gubernatorial Election.
However, Gunrom argued that in reality, the political choices of siblings, elder brothers, or in-laws are not necessarily the same and cannot be generalised indiscriminately.
“Connecting the ownership of a vehicle (a Fortuner) by a civilian (Siti Nuraeni), then linking it to a sibling relationship (Setyo Sularso), then further linking it to an in-law relationship (Andika Perkasa), only to leap to the conclusion that PDI Perjuangan is behind student protests, is a clear logical fallacy,” he said.
Gunrom emphasised that PDIP is not involved in, funding, or facilitating student protests regarding their aspirations for the MBG programme. He added that PDIP has never tasked its officials or cadres to involve themselves in the technical aspects of the student movement.
“The cheap accusations from BEM Bersatu, which easily claim that student protests are being ridden or infiltrated by political parties, are an insult to the critical reasoning and independence of students,” he said.
Moreover, Gunrom noted that several student bodies (BEM) cited by BEM Bersatu have recently denied any connection to the alliance.
“It should also be noted that there have been many denials from the original campus organisations regarding the individuals involved in BEM Bersatu; therefore, they are not students, but ‘rented students’ (mahasewa),” he remarked.
According to Detik.com, the student alliance known as BEM Bersatu previously declared its opposition to student movements being hijacked by practical political interests. They argued that student movements must remain the voice of the people, not a tool for seizing power.
“We, BEM Bersatu, reject all forms of student movements being ridden by practical political interests. Student movements must remain the voice of the people, not a tool for elites in the struggle for power,” said BEM Bersatu representative Rahmat Djimbula, who is the Chairman of the UIC Law Student Executive Board, during a press conference in Utan Kayu, East Jakarta, on Tuesday (16/6).