New Delhi: Tension prevailed on DU’s North Campus on Thursday in the wake of clashes on Wednesday even as members of students’ groups protested at various places, including at the Delhi Police Headquarters, seeking action against the ABVP.
Ramjas College had turned into a battleground on Wednesday as students of Left-affiliated AISA and the RSS-backed ABVP armed with hockey sticks rained blows on each other, causing injuries to many.
Classes remained suspended at the college on Thursday even as the authorities claimed it was due to “administrative reasons” and not because of the tense situation.
The genesis of the clash was an invite to JNU students Umar Khalid, facing sedition charge, and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar on ‘Culture of Protests’ which was withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP.
While students of JNU and DU who are members of All India Students Association (AISA) staged a protest at the Delhi Police Headquarters at ITO, the Congress’ student wing National Students Union of India took out a peace march to Maurice Nagar police station.
Khalid, who gave a miss to protests on Wednesday and the day before, joined the protesters at ITO in raising slogans of “ABVP se azaadi” and demanding registration of an FIR against them.
Around 50 members of the ABVP also gathered outside the Arts faculty at North Campus and reiterated they will not allow “any repeat of JNU like events” in the university.
A huge posse of police personnel was deployed on the north campus in the wake of the situation even as DU vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi urged the students not to resort to violence.
