DUSU president, ABVP members force entry into all-women's college
What's the story
Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) president Aryan Maan and several Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members allegedly forced their way into the campus of Delhi University's Gargi College. The incident has sparked controversy, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which was once in power in Delhi, questioning if this is what the Bharatiya Janata Party and ABVP call "sanskaar" or ethics.
Election controversy
Maan enters campus to support candidate
The incident is said to be connected to the student council elections held on Friday. A candidate allegedly contacted Maan, claiming unfair treatment in the voting process. Despite being denied entry due to rules permitting male visitors only after verification on certain occasions, Maan and his team forcibly entered the college premises. They claimed they were there to support a candidate.
College autonomy
Situation under control after police intervention
A fourth-year undergraduate student at Gargi College said that the college functions independently of DUSU politics and has no active political organizations. "The president has no role to play, and even if he did, the manner in which he entered... along with his aggressive verbal and body language was highly intimidating," the student said. Police personnel on campus intervened and escorted Maan and his team out to restore order.
ABVP response
Tension after protest
ABVP Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma said the situation turned tense after a protest. He claimed a contesting student contacted Maan, alleging she was treated differently due to her apolitical stance. Sharma said ABVP members were staging a sit-in protest when they were allegedly verbally abused by a non-teaching staff member, prompting their forced entry into campus.
Safety concerns
AAP shares video of incident
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) shared a video of the incident on Instagram, highlighting concerns over student safety at the all-women's college. The video showed Maan and ABVP members trying to force entry into the campus, followed by police escorting them out as students chanted slogans against ABVP. "Students pushed back and sent them out," AAP said in its post.