Chennai: The controversy surrounding IIT-M’s decision to ban Ambedkar Periyar Study Circle (APSC), a student body, continued on Saturday with student unions and student wings of political parties and fringe outfits gathering on Sardar Patel Road, where the institution is located, to register their protest. While a majority of the protesters were against the ban, a few Hindu outfits took to the streets in support of the institution’s decision.
On Thursday, the IIT-M banned APSC following instructions from the HRD ministry for voicing opinions against the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and policies of the Centre. The move snowballed into a national issue with political parties condemning the ban. Police said most of the protesters were flagged off at Madhya Kailash before they could reach the campus. They managed to reach the entry gate, but were picked up by police leading to tension.
Police protection was beefed up outside and within the campus on Saturday morning with over 700 police personnel on duty following inputs about the students’ protests. The demonstrators included members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), New Democratic Labour Front (NDLF), Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam and the Radical Students’ Youth Front (RSYF) and student wings of political parties.
They alleged they were severely beaten up by police when they resisted arrest. “Even women protesters were treated badly by the cops. A few of us suffered injuries when they pushed us into the police van,” said S. Karpaga Vinayagam of NDLF. More than 100 protesters were picked up and detained at a community hall at Little Mount, Saidapet. They were later released.
