ABVP takes out rally in Delhi University, other varsities join in

In a show of strength, thousands of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members from Delhi and NCR gathered in Delhi University's (DU) north campus on Thursday to take out a protest march against the Left-affiliated student groups. The ABVP members said they will not tolerate any "anti-national" activity in educational institutes.

Earlier on Tuesday, the varsity students had organised a massive protest rally titled 'DU Against Gundagardi', accusing the ABVP of propagating "hooliganism and violence" on the campus. Left-backed All India Students' Association (AISA) had given the call for the march.

Amid heavy security presence, ABVP members raised slogans such as Bharat Mata ki Jai, "Hindustan me rehna hoga, Vande Mataram kehna hoga", and "Bharat ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko". Protesters started the march from the varsity's Arts Faculty at 1.30 pm. They crossed Vishwavidyalaya Metro station and several colleges, including Khalsa and Ramjas, before culminating the march at the Vivekananda Statue at the back of the Arts Faculty.

Unlike Tuesday's march, however, ABVP's protest failed to attract DU students other than those belonging to the BJP-affiliated student wing. Hundreds of students, at the same time, joined in from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Chaudhary Charan Singh (CCS) University in Meerut.

The ABVP members, however, claimed they received a strong support from the varsity students. "Today's protest is a befitting reply to the communist forces that are trying instigate violence on our campus and that raised anti-national slogans at Ramjas College on February 22 and 23," said Amit Tanwar, Delhi University Student's Union (DUSU) President and ABVP member.

Kamal Bagri, CCS University student and ABVP supporter, said: "Nearly 200 students have come from Meerut to protest against those who raised anti-national slogans in DU. They did the same in JNU and now they are trying to spread their disease in other universities as well."

With hoardings and posters that had pictures of bodies of BJP and RSS leaders, who were allegedly killed by members of the Left parties in Kerala, the protesters demanded that Delhi Police file a chargesheet against those students who "raised anti-national slogans in JNU campus on February 9, 2016".

Slamming the move, Kwalpreet Kaur, DU student and AISA member, said, "Putting illegal hoardings of bodies all over the campus shows how sick the Parishad is. Not only are they justifying their violence, they are further warning others what they might give back."

"If the Left brigade is calling us goons for raising our voice against anti-national activities in our campus, then we are proud 'nationalist goons' of our mother India," said Priya Dabas, former DU student and ABVP member.

The protesters also carried a giant National Flag during the march. Earlier on February 27 as well, the ABVP had taken out a 'Tiranga Rally' on the campus. "These communists should understand that their freedom of expression ends where the unity of our country starts," ABVP National Media Convener Saket Bhaguna said.

On February 23, hundreds of students associated with AISA and RSS-backed ABVP had attacked each other, causing serious injuries to many. The clashes followed the cancellation of an invitation to JNU students Umar Khalid and Shehla Rashid Shora, after the ABVP objected to the invite.

Meanwhile, traffic remained disturbed on the roads around the north campus for four hours, as the inner roads were barricaded by the police.