FB Post, ‘Krishna’ Remark: What Sparked ABVP Protest at DU College

A talk event and a Facebook post have created ripples at Delhi University's Dyal Singh College, with a professor and a student alleging that they were threatened by students supporting the RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

It all started on 24 September, when assistant professor of Hindi, Rajeev Kunwar, spoke at a session on 'Patriarchy and Women Resistance in India: A Historical Inquiry', organised by the Dyal Singh Majithia Study Circle.

While the event is said to have gone off smoothly, it was a Facebook post by one of the students behind the talk, Mayank, which is said to have triggered the controversy.

Soon after Mayank posted about the event, with pictures of professor Kunwar, on Facebook, another student commented saying, "This is the same professor who teaches students that Lord Krishna is a fictitious character. This professor should be boycotted."

What followed on the thread was a war of words between various students, with one student even reportedly writing about Lord Krishna "harassing women."

The incident ultimately blew up with Mayank and professor Kunwar alleging that they are being threatened and trolled by ABVP-aligned students.

'Police Not Very Helpful'

When asked about the controversy, which has been brewing in the college over last one week, Kunwar said, "I have been getting threats on the phone for the last three days. I have also filed a complaint about this with the police, but their approach has not really been helpful. It seems like the police will wake up only when a teacher is beaten up... I have not made any comment on social media or on that post in any other way."

The student behind organising the talk, Mayank – affiliated to the Left-leaning Students' Federation of India (SFI) – too had a similar story to tell, alleging that the ABVP group of the college has been sending messages with his pictures on different WhatsApp groups, to target him in the aftermath of his Facebook post.

“They alleged that I have made fun of gods and goddesses, used abusive language against them. But this allegation is totally false and has no basis,” Mayank told The Quint.

Hindi Dept Students Beaten Up by ABVP

On Monday, 30 September, the ABVP also staged a protest at the college over the issue. Both Kunwar and Mayank claimed that some students of the Hindi department, who sought to oppose the ABVP protest, were beaten up by those affiliated to the outfit.

Professor Kunwar also claimed that the whole row is an effort to ‘target him politically’ because he holds a post within the Left-leaning Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF).

ABVP Denies Allegations

The ABVP, on its part, has denied issuing the threats and inciting violence in the college, claiming it was the SFI which had attacked the ABVP.

"From the information we got, something objectionable was written about Lord Krishna (on Facebook). Religious feelings cannot be hurt," ABVP spokesperson Monika Chaudhary told The Quint.

She alleged that ABVP's opposition to the professor was because he was teaching ‘anti-religious content’ to students.