Hyderabad: Student organisations in the University of Hyderabad (UoH) have begun a three-day sit-in relay protest demanding the arrest and expulsion of “criminals” who attacked students on April 17. The student bodies were referring to the attack by Akhila Bharatiya Vidya Parishad (ABVP) members on campus on the night of April 17, which left several injured.
The incident took place on April 17, after two students had reportedly objected to communal songs being played in campus by the ABVP, which eventually led to the violence. The right-wing student organisation got into an altercation with the Students Federation of India (SFI), which eventually turned violent. While the UoH formed a committee to inquire and submit a report on the incident, the protesting students however demanded action against the ABVP.
In a joint press release by all other student groups including the SFI, they said that UoH administration including the vice-chancellor (VC), is trying to “shelter” the perpetrators of the attack. All the organisations said that they will continue their protest until their demands are met. The UoH administration also added two more members into the committee to look into the incident as students alleged that it had faculty members who were biased towards the ABVP.
According to the release, the genesis of the April 17 attack was the communal songs that were reportedly played by the ABVP at a farewell party of the Economics department. “Because two students (from SFI) objected to it, ABVP goons, about 70 of them, landed up at J hostel to attack them. From our side only about 20 of us could reach and because of that ABVP members assaulted us. Not only that, they also groped women students,” an SFI member from UoH said.
It is also alleged that ABVP members assaulted women students and a student who is differently abled as well in UoH.
After the incident, the UoH Students’ Union called for an all-party meeting. Both sides also have released statements. The ABVP dismissed all allegations and said that claims that it instigated violence or that it attacked anyone is “fabricated”. The right-wing student group, affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), also said that the Students Union of UoH has become a “mouthpiece” for the SFI”.
“Our fight is not different from the one being organised throughout the nation, to throw out the hooligan BJP,” said the student groups.
