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In Uttar Pradesh, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has turned against its own government. ABVP activists protested vehemently late Tuesday night against a statement made by Yogi government minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, staging demonstrations and shouting slogans outside his residence. The issue has gained considerable momentum, originating at the Shri Ram Swaroop Memorial University in Barabanki, where students were raising concerns about the law course. The events leading up to this clash, from the initial protests to the subsequent reactions, are detailed below.
The ABVP, a student organization affiliated with the BJP, saw the beginning of this protest at Ramswaroop University in Barabanki. Students demonstrated on Monday, September 1, over the recognition of the LLB course and the suspension of ABVP activists. Students alleged that the university had been running the law course without recognition from the Bar Council of India (BCI) since 2022, jeopardizing their futures. This prompted their initial protest.
During the initial protest on Monday morning, LLB students, joined by ABVP activists, conducted a peaceful demonstration despite heavy rain. According to the students, the university administration called the police when the crowd grew. The situation escalated when the police resorted to a baton charge during the protest. Students were attempting to meet the Vice-Chancellor regarding alleged irregularities at Ramswaroop University. A clash ensued between the students and the police, resulting in injuries to at least 25 ABVP members. Five police officers, including CO City Harshit Chauhan, also sustained minor injuries.
The students’ anger intensified after the baton charge. They accused the police of not only brutal actions but also claimed that external goons, allegedly at the university administration’s behest, attacked the students. The situation further deteriorated when angry students and their parents prevented District Magistrate (DM) Shashank Tripathi and SP Arpit Vijayvargiya from visiting the injured in the hospital. The crowd chanted slogans and demanded immediate justice.
Later that night, ABVP activists protested outside the DM’s residence, burned effigies, and marched to the SP’s office, continuing their demonstration late into the night.
The students were already upset about the baton charge and the irregularities in the law degree program at the university when a statement from Yogi government minister OP Rajbhar added fuel to the fire.
Rajbhar commented on the police action against the ABVP activists, stating, “The country runs on the constitution. The country runs on law. Meet the Education Minister, meet the Principal Secretary of Education, meet the CM. If nothing happens here, then meet the Defense Minister. Meet the PM. Even the Prime Minister had to go to jail for breaking the law. Lalu ji had to go to jail. Kejriwal had to go to jail. The job of the police is to control law and order. If you resort to hooliganism, the police will take action.” He added that the police had rightly used batons on the ABVP goons.
Following the minister’s statement, the anger of the ABVP activists intensified. On Tuesday night, students staged a massive protest outside the residence of Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar in Lucknow. They shouted slogans against Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar and the government. The students’ anger escalated to the point where they burned an effigy outside Rajbhar’s residence. They climbed the gate of the residence, chanted slogans, and shouted slogans against the government and the police administration.
To stop the students protesting outside Rajbhar’s residence, a large number of police officers arrived. A heated clash ensued between the students and the police, after which the police detained several activists and sent them to Eco Garden.
This has sparked political unrest throughout the state. Consequently, CM Yogi himself has taken action in the matter. He issued orders for immediate action. Three police personnel were put on line duty on Tuesday regarding the lathi charge on the students. CO City Harshit Chauhan of Barabanki was removed. Action was taken against Kotwali police station in-charge RK Rana, SI Gajendra Singh, and Constable Vinod Kumar. The government has ordered IG of Ayodhya range Praveen Kumar and Barabanki Commissioner Rajesh Kumar to investigate the incident.
ABVP’s Awadh province secretary Pushpendra Bajpai stated, “Our demand is that strict action should be taken against the university administration and the guilty police personnel. Our आंदोलन will continue until justice is served to the injured students.” ABVP and other student organizations have demanded that the university Vice-Chancellor be dismissed, the expelled students be reinstated, and a clear position on the recognition of the law degree be presented. The students have warned that if their demands are not met, the आंदोलन will be intensified.
University Vice-Chancellor Vikas Mishra stated that the incident was caused by outsiders and not the university’s students. Mishra said that the protest began when the university suspended two ABVP-linked students for indiscipline.
Regarding the allegations about the recognition of the law faculty, Mishra said that the university already has recognition from the Bar Council of India until 2023 and that the application and fees for renewal have been submitted for 2027.
The Vice-Chancellor alleged that ABVP activists (many of whom were outsiders) closed the main gate of the university on Monday afternoon when approximately 7,000-8,000 students were present inside.
He said that this caused panic and parents from nearby villages rushed to get their children. During this time, a fight broke out between local people and ABVP activists. Our officers, teachers, and law department students were all inside the campus, and they had no role in the violence.
