Thursday, March 28, 2024

Students manhandled, detained during protest over DU action against BBC film screening

Several students protesting against the debarment of two students over the screening of the BBC documentary critical of PM Modi were manhandled by the police and university security inside the Delhi University’s Arts Faculty on Friday.

The students were sitting on an indefinite strike to protest against the “draconian” action by the university authorities.

In a video shared by the students, security forces of the university, Delhi Police and paramilitary forces were seen manhandling the students.

The protest was called by student groups AISA, BASF, BSCEM, Collective, DSU, Fraternity Movement, SFI and SIO.

There were heavy police and paramilitary forces deployments inside the varsity’s arts faculty ahead of the protest, a student said to Maktoob.

At least 25 students have been detained and they have been taken to Burari police station, PTI news agency reported.

The protest comes in response to the notice issued by the university, which debarred eight students from taking their exams. The students were found to have participated in the screening of the documentary, which the university claimed was “anti-national” and “propagandist.” The documentary which exposed Narendra Modi’s role in Gujarat Muslim genocide 2002 was widely targeted by Hindutva groups and BJP governments across the country.

The documentary screening was organised on 27 January by several students’ groups. Some of the students were detained by the Delhi Police from the spot, and their details were collected by the university from the FIR.

A committee formed by Delhi University to look into the incident had barred two students — Lokesh Chugh and Ravinder Singh — for a year, and recommended punishment against six others, including Sneha Sarahshaji, Anshul Yadav, Dinesh Kumar, Mishab, Ashutosh.

The punishment for the six students was to write a letter to the administration expressing that they are sorry and won’t repeat the act again, said DU V-C Yogesh Singh Tuesday.

Lokesh is a leader of NSU(I), student wing of Indian National Congress while Ravinder is affiliated with the Bhagat Singh Chatr Ekta Manch (BSCEM).

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