Two Harvard-linked groups issue 2 contrasting letters on Delhi protests
What's the story
Two groups associated with Harvard University have taken very different positions on the Delhi Police crackdown on protesters demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The first letter issued on October 12, signed by 100 Harvard faculty, staff, and students, condemned the "arbitrary, illegal, and unconstitutional police actions against peaceful protesters." It specifically mentioned incidents involving Shadan Farasat (a 2009 Harvard Law School graduate) and Meher Pasricha (a 2025 Harvard Kennedy School graduate).
Letter details
Details of the letter
The letter says Farasat was allegedly "detained and manhandled by the police" while trying to stop the illegal detention of another protester.
Pasricha was also allegedly dragged away and "illegally detained" for 13 hours despite not being part of the protest.
"We call upon the government and all law enforcement authorities to immediately cease and desist from all violations of constitutional rights, respect rights to peaceful protest....and ensure that those responsible for abuses are held accountable," they wrote.
Rebuttal issued
Harvard alumni issue rebuttal
The Harvard Club of India, the official alumni group of Harvard University in India, issued a rebuttal within 48 hours.
The club took issue over the use of Harvard University's name to lend credibility to a political campaign without appropriate authorization.
It also expressed concern over what it described as a "concerted campaign" against the Election Commission of India (ECI), the Supreme Court, the office of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and Parliament.
Statement
What club said
"The language used to describe India as being under 'siege' and to characterize constitutional authorities as 'thieves' or 'compromised' raises serious concerns about the intent to undermine public trust in democratic institutions," the club said.
"The actions of law enforcement agencies to uphold public order deserve fair scrutiny, but sweeping accusations and abusive rhetoric cannot substitute for evidence, due process or institutional accountability."
Twitter Post
Club member on 1st letter
#WATCH | Delhi: On Harvard-affiliated individuals' letter, Public Policy Professional Chetan Aggarwal says, "We have collected as concerned citizens and written this letter because we wanted to call out attempts by some people to distort the global perception of India. They are… pic.twitter.com/Vnvz2bnsGk
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2026
Protest details
Protests against CEC Kumar
The protests were called by the Cockroach Janta Party and All India Students Association of India on October 10, demanding Kumar's resignation.
Delhi Police denied permission for the protest due to a late request and implemented a massive security operation.
Over 20,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed, resulting in more than 1,000 overnight detentions.
By the end of October 10, another 7,000 were detained, including opposition leaders like Arvind Kejriwal and Mamata Banerjee.