A violent altercation broke out at South Asian University (SAU) on Wednesday when members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) allegedly attacked students, including women, and mess staff over the serving of non-vegetarian food.
The incident occurred at Mess Number 2 near the academic block, where students had gathered for lunch.
The issue arose when a group of students, led by ABVP members Ratan Singh, Anshul Sharma, and Ram Sharma, objected to the serving of non-vegetarian food on Maha Shivratri.
While the mess committee had arranged both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals to accommodate all students, the ABVP members insisted that only vegetarian food should be served.
As tensions escalated, the situation turned violent, with ABVP members physically assaulting students and mess workers.
This confrontation was not entirely unexpected. In the days leading up to Maha Shivratri, discussions had already turned heated in student WhatsApp groups. ABVP members had been pressured to serve only ‘sattvik’ (pure vegetarian) food, citing religious sentiments.
However, the mess committee had made it clear that both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options would be available. Students who did not observe the fast found it unfair to impose a dietary restriction on everyone.
“We told them, ‘You can have your food, and we will have ours. What’s the problem with that?’” Yashada, the mess secretary, who was attacked, told Maktoob.
Despite this, the ABVP members persisted with their demands, warning that they would not allow non-vegetarian food to be served on the day of the festival.
Yashada, a 25-year-old master’s student in sociology and the mess secretary. She recounted how the altercation began.
“They had been discussing this in the WhatsApp group for days, demanding that only vegetarian food be served. But most of us don’t fast, and we ensured vegetarian food was available for those who do. Why should others be forced to follow their dietary choices?”
As lunch neared its end, Ratan Singh, Anshul Sharma, and nearly ten others entered the mess, shouting at the staff. When Yashada intervened, she was met with hostility.
“Ratan Singh wasn’t even responding to me at first. Then, when the mess manager arrived and explained that the committee had decided on the menu, Ratan Singh became furious and started throwing food on the floor,” Yashada said.
Sudeepto Das, a PhD scholar at South Asian University who witnessed the attack, told Maktoob that, “They gathered around Yashada in a circle. It was clear they were trying to intimidate her. Then, when she tried to stop Ratan Singh from throwing food, they became violent.”
As Yashada attempted to prevent further disruption, the attack turned physical. “He pushed me, punched me in the face, untied my hair and even grabbed my breast. His other ABVP friends stood around, watching and laughing. I screamed for help, thinking they would stop. But they didn’t.”
Sudeepto also intervened to protect Yashada but was assaulted as well. “When I tried to pull them away from her, they attacked me too. They were completely out of control, and by then, even more ABVP members had joined in.”
This was not an isolated incident. Yashada had previously filed a complaint against Ratan Singh for harassment, but no action was taken. “He had been catcalling me for over a year. I submitted video evidence to the university complaints committee, but they dismissed the case. They protect these men,” she revealed.
Sudeepto echoed her concerns, saying that such incidents are becoming common on campus. “The administration continuously ignores complaints against ABVP members. When we approached the Dean of Students, Navnit Jha, and the Proctor, Kapil Sharma, they brushed it off and told us to file a complaint. But we know what happens—nothing.”
The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) Delhi unit strongly condemned the violence and called for immediate action. “The ABVP is trying to impose its ideology on the entire student body. The university mess is a common space, and everyone has the right to choose their food. These attacks are unacceptable, and the administration must act immediately to ensure student safety,” read their official statement.
SFI also highlighted that video evidence clearly shows ABVP members physically assaulting students and mess staff. “The administration’s silence enables such violence to continue,” the statement added.
Despite multiple complaints and growing outrage, the South Asian University administration has yet to issue an official statement on the incident. Many students have accused Dean Navnit Jha and Proctor Kapil Sharma of enabling ABVP’s violent tactics by consistently ignoring complaints and failing to take action against repeated offenders.
“These men know they won’t face consequences. The Dean and the Proctor allow them to behave like this,” Yashada said. “Even when we went to them after this attack, they acted like it was nothing. What are we supposed to do now?”
Sudeepto shared similar frustrations. “This isn’t just about one incident. This is a pattern of impunity. The administration’s inaction is what allows these attacks to keep happening.”
The students of SAU are demanding that the administration take immediate action against the perpetrators. SFI has called for the suspension of those involved in the attack and a thorough investigation into the handling of previous harassment complaints.
