Setting a 48-hour ultimatum to the Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government Thursday for taking strict action against the police officers involved in lathicharge as well as the SRMU management, the student body has meanwhile undertaken “mashaal jaloos” (torch march) against the police and administration in various districts across the state, even burning their effigies at some places.
“We would continue our protests across UP and would intensify it after completion of 48 hours till all our demands are met and all the guilty individuals, be it over irregularities in the university (SRMU) or those involved in lathicharge and those saving them, are identified and punished,” Abhinav Mishra, the UP ABVP’s media coordinator, told The Indian Express.
This is however not the first time that the ABVP has taken on the UP administration and police over various issues related to the state’s colleges or universities, putting the state government in a spot.
In Prayagraj in September 2022, the ABVP members joined students’ protests against fee hike at the Allahabad University, even going on to allegedly lock its gates as they demanded that the central university reverse the fee hike. As the ABVP members reportedly refused to unlock the gates despite the intervention of the administration, the police had to step in to forcibly break the locks.
In July 2023, the ABVP activists led protests at the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya University in Gorakhpur against fee hike and their demand for various amenities and facilities like hostel for students. However, their stir turned violent as the university authorities declined to meet the protesting students. The ensuing confrontation led to a clash between students, university officials and police. Later, the varsity expelled some students involved in violent protests.
In November 2023, an incident of alleged sexual assault was reported from the IIT-BHU campus, which set off student protests for justice. Following reports of two accused in the case allegedly having links with the BJP, the Opposition had backed the protesting students. The ABVP had also come out then in support of student protesters, demanding police action against the accused.
Asked about the ABVP’s agitation in these cases, Abhinav Mishra said, “ABVP is an independent student organisation dedicated to raising the issues of students. We support the government on our common ideological issues but our first priority is the welfare of the students as we are a student organisation. We do not take steps hastily. Our decisions are well thought out involving dialogue at various levels. In all these instances, we have raised the issues of students because the university authorities were not listening and we would continue to do so.”
In the current row, following the police crackdown on the ABVP activists at the SRMU, UP minister and BJP ally, Om Prakash Rajbhar, the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) chief, criticising the ABVP’s clash with the police at the private university, purportedly called them “goons”. This led to the ABVP holding a protest outside the minister’s house in Lucknow Wednesday, following which the SBSP alleged that the protesters used abusive language against the MBC (Most Backward Classes) leader and also pelted stones at his house. The SBSP also sought action, citing the BJP government’s claim of “rule of law” in the state.
Taking cognisance of the police lathicharge on the ABVP members at the SRMU, the Adityanath government has removed the local Police Circle officer and suspended four policemen. The ABVP has however stuck to its demands seeking registration of cases, stern action and a high-level probe against the police and the private university’s top functionaries.
Asked why the ABVP was continuing with its stir when the government has ordered an inquiry and suspended police officials, Mishra said: “It is not just few ground-level police officers who are guilty. We want all those behind protecting the university and the lathicharge to be exposed. The findings of the inquiry as to who ordered the lathicharge should also be made public.”
With the 48-hour ultimatum ending Saturday, ABVP national secretary Ankit Shukla again repeated their demands, expressing hope that CM Adityanath would ensure justice for the students and punish the guilty.