UP: Police FIR Against 22 ABVP Activists, Outsider for ‘Thrashing’ DDU Gorakhpur Varsity VC, Cops

Lucknow: The day after violence broke out in the premises of Deendayal Upadhyaya University in Gorakhpur, the police on Saturday lodged a First Information Report (FIR) in the case against 22 named Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists, including an outside contractor, for allegedly assaulting the Vice-Chancellor, Dean and police personnel.

According to the Cantonment police, among the named accused are 13 students, a contractor and others outsiders who were involved in the violence took place on Friday afternoon. 

Randhir Mishra, a Cantt inspector, told NewsClick said that a case had been registered against 22 persons, including 13 students and others under different Sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC).

"Two policemen, the Vice-Chancellor, professors and some students were injured in the clash. They were sent to the district hospital and have been given primary treatment," he said, adding that 13 students were arrested and investigation was underway.

WHAT HAPPENED? 

Tension prevailed on the campus of DDU in Gorakhpur on Friday after Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated ABVP activists allegedly chased and beat up the Vice-Chancellor and the registrar over alleged irregularities in the varsity and assaulted police personnel who had arrived there to control the violence.

Vice-chancellor Rajesh Singh and officiating registrar Ajay Singh, three-four ABVP members and some policemen were injured in the ruckus. As many as 15 ABVP workers have been detained, police claimed. 

On Friday, top administration officials told the media that the students had been identified and the university was in process to get an FIR against them.

The ABVP has been protesting on the campus since July 4 against fee hike and other alleged irregularities but the situation took an ugly turn on Friday after university officials refused to meet the protesters. This reportedly annoyed the ABVP activists who immediately rushed to the VC’s chamber. There were heated exchanges with the professors after which some students allegedly started beating them. 

The Deputy Dean of Students Welfare, along with some professors who tried to intervene, were also brutally beaten by the ABVP members, as per reports. 

The police had to resort to lathi-charge to control the situation. But the ABVP students chased the policemen and beat them too. Several police officials and professors were reportedly injured.

Amit Singh, a student of DDU and ABVP member, told NewsClick that the Vice-Chancellor has assured them of resolving their problem when they first held a protest in the first week of July. But later, Dean Satyapal Singh issued an order for suspension of four ABVP members for allegedly creating the ruckus. 

"A group of students reached to meet VC on Friday, but he refused to talk against the suspension order. The students did not create any ruckus," Singh said.

When asked about a video being circulated where ABVP activists can be seen beating professors and police, Singh refused to comment. 

It is not that the anger of the students flared up suddenly on Friday. For the past one month, a tug-of-war has been going on between the university administration and ABVP activists. It started on June 26 when students reached near the VC’s office located in the administrative building to complain against alleged irregularities, including fee hike and declaration of examination results. 

A DDU professor, on the condition of anonymity, told NewsClick, "In July, ABVP activists have been creating a ruckus and disrupting peace in the campus. When university officials asked them not to create a problem, they became aggressive and attacked the Vice-Chancellor. They did not spare the police who came to pacify them and thrashed them too. Their clothes were torn. They also hit the officiating registrar professor Ajay Singh with a blunt object. He suffered severe injuries. Later he was admitted to a private hospital where his condition is stable."

 "Had some teachers and policemen not intervened and come to rescue, the things would have turned worst", he added.