After Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), several students of Delhi University (DU) also boycotted their exams and held a protest on Monday in solidarity with the Jamia Millia Islamia University students who staged protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
The students also raised slogans against the Delhi Police for using tear gas and laathi-charging the protesting students of Jamia on Sunday.
However, the DU protest ultimately turned into a clash between the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarti Parishad (ABVP) and National Student Union of India (NSUI) and Left affiliated students.
Videos of alleged activists beating the protesting students at Arts faculty went viral. Witnessing the students gathering against the Delhi Police, the DU teachers have also called a protest at the Art Faculty in support of the protesting students against the police action.
Some teachers have claimed that police used force on protesters in the DU campus as well. Some students were said to be detained and taken to Maurice Nagar Police Station. However, Delhi Police denied the allegations and said, “No students were detained. With their permission, they were just taken to disperse the protest to avoid any kind of clash between the groups.”
NSUI and Left backed students unions such as All India Student Association (AISA) and Student Federation of India (SFI) has alleged that some ABVP activists has barged into the protest and started assaulting the protesting students. “We have evidence and video and the people who are hitting, attacking and abusing are ABVP activists and members and are not the students of DU. they can clearly be seen assaulting students at Arts Faculty. It is clear that this was a well coordinated and planned attempt to assault students by ABVP goons,” said Akshay Lakra, Delhi State President of NSUI.
While Akshit Dahiya, President of Delhi University Student Union (DUSU), “Everyone has the right to protest but these leftists forcefully entered the examination halls where the students were writing their Political Science paper. You have your choice to boycott the examination but why are you ruining others’ exam. The students appearing for the exams came to me in the morning for help and as a president of DUSU, I will help and the protesters also raised anti-national slogans and we cannot bear such nuisances in our University.”
Dahiya also claimed that, “They raised anti-national slogans in front of me. We can never let such things happen in DU. We reject any lockdown call for DU and I reach out to all students to appear for exams without fear. We condemn the act of such violent perpetrators and such environment building cannot be tolerated.”
ABVP members also claimed that this was a pre-planned protest and the protesters have planned to disrupt the ongoing examinations.
“I am neither with AISA, ABVP or NSUI. I came to protest in solidarity with Jamia students against the Delhi Police and CAA. The protest was silent but some ABVP members and activists forcefully started abusing and beating, kicking the students,” said Alishan, a student of DU.
Another student Neerav Madhav said, “We were conducting a peaceful protest against the CAA but the police forcefully crackdown on the protesters.” However, a senior police officer said some students were stopping others from taking exams and police were there keeping a watch.
“We were at the campus just to keep a watch as some students who were stopping others from taking exams,” said Monika Bhardwaj, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).
