Ramjas College clash: AISA students protest against Delhi police, ABVP

New Delhi: Following the violent clashes at Delhi University’s Ramjas College on Wednesday, the All India Students Association (AISA) students protesting against Delhi Police and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) outside the police headquarters on Thursday.

Joint Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathak said that the situation was being monitored. “In future protest, we request students to remain peaceful,” he said.

Pathak also said,” In North Campus, few policemen’s unprofessional actions noticed. An enquiry is on. Strict actions will be taken.”

Delhi University’s Ramjas College almost turned into a war zone on Wednesday with students from Left-affiliated AISA and RSS-backed ABVP resorting to violent clashes including hitting each other with hockey sticks that left many of them bleeding.

The genesis of the clash was an invite to JNU students Umar Khalid, facing sedition charges, and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar on ‘Culture of Protests’ which was withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP.

Many teachers, policemen and a number of journalists also sustained injuries in the violence though a large contingent of police personnel was deployed across the North Campus of the Delhi University.

The clashes took place around 1 PM and police could bring the situation under control five hours later. A group of students were also locked up allegedly by ABVP activists for four hours at the college campus.

Ramjas Principal Rajender Prasad said he is in discussion with the teachers, who were part of organisers of the event, and requested both the groups to not disrupt the peace and harmony in the college. “Not only the ABVP completely disrupted the seminar, they were also abusing, beating women and even journalists leaving some profusely bleeding. Why can’t the police see such hooliganism? There is adequate police presence on the campus but nobody from ABVP has been detained yet,” alleged Rashid, who was formerly JNU Students’ Union vice president. She also alleged that “police joined the ABVP goons” in attacking her.

Abha Dev, a member of DU Teachers’ Association, claimed that besides “several students”, three teachers of different DU colleges — Prasanta Chakraborty (English), Suvrita (History) and Mousumi Bose (Philosophy) — were injured in the clashes and taken to Hindu Rao hospital.

ANI/PTI