Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) president Aryan Mann and several members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) allegedly stormed Delhi University’s Gargi College, angering the Aam Aadmi Party, which previously ruled the national capital.
Maan and others arrived at the university campus and forcibly entered the college campus after they were denied entry based on the rules for men entering the campus. The AAP criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi and questioned whether this is the BJP – the party whose government rules Delhi – and the ABVP’s idea of ’sanskaar’ (morality).
What happened in Gargi College?
According to an earlier HT report, the raid on the Gargi College campus was reportedly linked to the student council elections held on Friday.
The students, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said a rival candidate called the DUSU president during the vote, claiming the process was unfair.
DUSU president Aryan Mann and other ABVP members reached the campus, but were denied entry. The refusal was due to rules stipulating that male visitors are only allowed to enter the building after verification on specific occasions.
Rejection did not stop Maan. He and others forcefully entered the premises of Gargi College on the pretext of supporting the candidate.
A fourth-year university student reportedly said that Gargi College operates outside the scope of DUSU politics, adding that it also does not have active student political organisations.
“The president has no role to play, and even if he played it, the way he entered, coupled with his aggressive verbalization and body language, was very intimidating,” the student was quoted as saying in an earlier HT report.
Police personnel deployed on the campus intervened, escorted Arian Maan and others out of the building, and maintained order.
As police officers moved to restore order, several students reportedly raised slogans against the ABVP.
A senior police officer said that no untoward incident was reported and the elections ended peacefully, adding that no complaint had been received from any person or group so far.
What the ABVP said
While there was no direct response from DUSU president Aryan Mann, ABVP Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma said the situation had become tense after the protest.
“A rival student, not affiliated with the ABVP or left-leaning organisations, approached the DUSU president alleging that she was being treated differently due to her apolitical stance. The ABVP members were initially organizing a sit-in protest when a non-teaching staff member allegedly verbally abused them prompting them to forcefully enter the campus,” Sharma reportedly said.
AAP criticizes Modi, BJP and ABVP
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) shared a video of the incident and scene at Gargi College on its Instagram account, saying it was not just a breach, but also “raises serious questions about the safety of students”.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led party said that although ‘Beti Bachao’ slogans continue to be shouted, the women’s college does not feel safe.
“They thought it was a girls’ college, what were they going to do? And that’s how it went,” said the overlaid text in the video shared by AAP.
The video showed Maan and ABVP members trying to force entry into the college campus, followed by police escorting them out of the building and students chanting “ABVP haye haye!”
“The students turned them away and sent them abroad. However, the question remains: Is this what the Sanskar BJP and ABVP stand for?”
