‘I Now Know How Riots Start’: AISA, ABVP Spar Over Ramjas Protest

The Quint spoke to students from both the factions to assess the violence that broke out outside Ramjas College.

The clashes come a day after a two-day long seminar organised by Ramjas College had to be cancelled after ABVP members protested against the participation of JNU student Umar Khalid. (Photo: Abhilash Mallick/The Quint)

A protest held outside Ramjas College turned violent on Wednesday as activists from ABVP and leftist student bodies clashed.

The violence came a day after ABVP held a protest against the participation of JNU student Umar Khalid in a seminar at Ramjas.

On Wednesday, two factions — ABVP members and activists from leftist outfits SFI and AISA — clashed and traded slogans. Many students were seen bearing injuries. Every azadi slogan was countered by “Bharat mata ki jai”.

The Quint spoke to students from both the factions to assess the situation. Sucheta De, AISA president from JNU, said that although she did not organise the protest, she participated in it.

Today I witnessed how riots happen...how goons can beat you up and do whatever they want while the police is only going to be a witness. Three comrades have been admitted to the hospital with head injuries. We will file a complaint and the police has to held accountable. This is the national capital, and this cannot happen here. The national university shouldn’t be allowed to be taken over by fascist goons.

Sucheta De, President of AISA, JNU

DUSU President Alleges Violence from AISA

Satinder Awana, who is the president of Delhi University Students Union and a member of ABVP, complained how more than half the protesters were from JNU, and not DU.

What kind of <i>azadi </i>(freedom) do they want? Why are they protesting when the principal didn’t grant them the permission to hold protests. When we went to the principal to seek permission for the protest, the principal said neither you nor them will be allowed to hold any protest. Umar Khalid and his supporters are trying to start in DU what they had started in JNU. More than half of the protesters here are from JNU. Half of the protesters are 40-years-old.

Santinder Awana, DUSU President

Lavanya a student from St Stephen’s showed the bruises she received after she was pushed by ABVP supporters. Even though the ABVP students maintained that the protest was instigated by JNU, she said most of the protesters were students from DU colleges such as Venky, LSR, Ramjas.

Also Read: Ramjas College Live: ABVP-AISA Refuse to Budge from Maurice Nagar

Prerna, another ABVP supporter said it was unacceptable for Indian students to raise slogans against their country.

What kind of freedom are they looking for? They are raising anti-national slogans. What do they mean by India go back? The government spends so much on their education.&nbsp;

AISA-SFI Students Throw Counter Allegations

Former Vice President of JNU, Shehla Rashid, who was scheduled to speak at Ramjas’ seminar on Cultures of Protest, on Wednesday said the students had planned the march to protest against ABVP violence that was inflicted upon teachers and students on Tuesday.

There was a protest outside Ramjas against their violent actions towards the students and teachers yesterday. Today when they were trying to hold a march from Rajas to Maurice Nagar police station. It took us three hours to hold that march and all of us are injured.

Deepak, who is a supporter of ABVP, accused the students of pelting rocks at them.

There was hooliganism here, and raising of anti-national slogans. These people are pelting stones after covering their mouths with handkerchiefs.&nbsp;

However, the other faction claimed that it was the ABVP members who actually pelted rocks at them and pulled their hair, with several eye witnesses corroborating the incident.

A reporter from The Quint was also assaulted by members of ABVP outside Ramjas College as she tried to capture the violent clashes on a Facebook Live.

Also Read: The Quint’s Reporter Assaulted by ABVP Members at Ramjas College