In Uttar Pradesh, the ABVP is currently at odds with the state government. Following remarks made by Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, ABVP members staged protests and demonstrations late Tuesday. Demonstrators gathered outside Rajbhar’s residence, voicing their discontent. The core issue stems from a situation at Barabanki’s Shri Ram Swaroop Memorial University, where students were raising concerns about the law program. This article explores the timeline of events from the initial protests to the subsequent reactions from both the students and the government.
The ABVP, which is a student wing affiliated with the BJP, saw the start of this issue at the Ramswaroop University in Barabanki. On September 1st, students protested against the university’s failure to recognize the LLB course, along with the suspension of ABVP activists. The students’ main point of contention was that the university has been operating the law course without accreditation from the Bar Council of India (BCI) since 2022, thereby jeopardizing their educational futures.
During the morning of September 1st, LLB students, with the backing of ABVP members, conducted a peaceful demonstration despite the inclement weather. Students reported that the university administration summoned the police as the crowd swelled. The situation escalated when the police used a baton charge to disperse the demonstrators. Students were attempting to meet the Vice-Chancellor over alleged irregularities at the university. The confrontation led to clashes between the students and the police, leaving at least 25 ABVP members injured. Additionally, five police officers, including CO City Harshit Chauhan, received minor injuries.
Following the baton charge, the students’ anger reached a boiling point. They accused the police of brutality and claimed that outsiders, allegedly under the direction of the university administration, attacked the students. Further exacerbating the situation, angry students and parents obstructed District Magistrate (DM) Shashank Tripathi and SP Arpit Vijayvargiya from visiting the injured students at the hospital. The crowd demanded swift justice, chanting slogans in protest.
Later that night, ABVP activists organized a demonstration outside the DM’s residence. This included burning effigies and marching to the SP’s office, with the protest continuing into the late hours.
Fueling the fire of student dissent were the comments made by Yogi government minister OP Rajbhar, following the police action and the alleged irregularities within the law degree program. Rajbhar stated his support for the police, thereby angering the students.
Rajbhar justified the police action against the ABVP activists by saying that the country runs on the constitution and the law. He advised them to seek help from various officials. Then he added that the police were correct to use batons against the ABVP members if they engaged in “hooliganism”.
After the minister’s statements, the ABVP’s anger surged. Students assembled in Lucknow on Tuesday night, and protested outside the residence of cabinet minister Om Prakash Rajbhar. They chanted slogans targeting Minister Rajbhar and the government. The protests intensified to the point where an effigy of Rajbhar was burned. The demonstrators scaled the residence gate, shouting slogans against the government and police.
To disperse the protestors, the police intervened, resulting in scuffles and the detention of several activists who were sent to Eco Garden.
The incident has led to political tension throughout the state, and CM Yogi has taken steps to address the situation. He initiated immediate action, including placing three police officers on line duty in response to the lathi charge. CO City Harshit Chauhan of Barabanki was removed. Additionally, action was taken against Kotwali police station in-charge RK Rana, SI Gajendra Singh, and Constable Vinod Kumar. The government has appointed IG of Ayodhya range Praveen Kumar and Barabanki Commissioner Rajesh Kumar to conduct an investigation into the incident.
Pushpendra Bajpai, the Awadh province secretary of ABVP, demanded that the university administration and the responsible police officers face strict action. He also stated that the protest would continue until the injured students received justice. ABVP and other student organizations are demanding the removal of the university’s Vice-Chancellor, reinstatement of expelled students, and a clear resolution regarding the recognition of the law degree. They have issued a warning that the protest would escalate if their demands remain unmet.
Vice-Chancellor Vikas Mishra claims that the incident was the result of actions from outsiders, not the students. He further explained that the protest started because two ABVP-linked students were suspended by the university for indiscipline. Mishra said that the university has BCI accreditation until 2023 and has submitted an application for renewal through 2027.
The Vice-Chancellor alleges that ABVP activists (many of whom were not students) shut down the main gate of the university when approximately 7,000-8,000 students were inside on Monday. He stated that this caused panic and that parents rushed to the campus to find their children. This led to a confrontation between local people and ABVP activists. He added that the university officials, teachers, and law department students were all present on campus and had no involvement in the violence.