Several protesters including female students were beaten, manhandled and detained by Delhi Police
NEW DELHI – A disturbing pattern of intimidation, harassment, and prejudiced police action has emerged, with students holding a peaceful Palestine solidarity protest being violently disrupted by Hindutva groups and subsequently facing false charges.
On Thursday, a rally organised by the Fraternity Movement and several student organisations at Delhi University was violently disrupted by a Hindutva groups. The protesters’ woes were compounded when Delhi Police allegedly beat, manhandled, and detained several students, including females.
The incident at the prestigious Delhi University echoed the recent “brutal attack” on students of the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) in Hyderabad, by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the state police. The students were expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people in an event at the university.
At Delhi University, the Fraternity Movement said the mob objected to raising of the Palestinian flag and began chanting Islamophobic slogans to intimidate students. “Even before the protest could begin, a group of jingoistic nationalist mobs attacked the peaceful gathering,” the group said in a statement. “They objected to the Palestinian flag and began chanting hate slogans.”
Violence ensued soon. Protesters said female participants were manhandled, and stones were thrown at the crowd, leaving several injured, media reports said on Friday.
“Instead of ensuring the safety of the protesters, the Delhi Police used force against the students, including female participants, without the presence of female officers,” the Fraternity Movement alleged. “Protesters were dragged and beaten, and many were unjustly detained.”
The group said the incident reflects “the deep intolerance and Islamophobia thriving within the institutions of this country,” adding, “Our voices will not be silenced. We stand firm with the Palestinian resistance and with every student who dares to speak truth to power.”
SIO Condemns Attack
The Students Islamic Organisation (SIO) of Delhi University condemned the violence and detentions, accusing members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, and the Delhi Police of launching an unprovoked attack.
“A joint protest was scheduled to begin from the Arts Faculty to show solidarity with the people of Palestine,” the SIO said. “Before the march could start, ABVP activists, accompanied by the Delhi Police, attacked the students near Mother Dairy, raising hate slogans such as ‘Jai Shri Ram’ and other provocative chants.”
SIO added that several students were physically assaulted and at least eight were detained before the march could proceed. “Instead of ensuring safety and order, the police sided with the attackers, targeting peaceful demonstrators and suppressing their right to dissent,” the group said.
Calling the incident a “serious assault on democratic values and campus freedom,” the group demanded immediate release of all detained students and accountability from those responsible.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to stand with the oppressed people of Palestine and to defend “the democratic right to protest within university spaces.”
The incidents in Hyderabad and New Delhi highlight the challenges faced by students and activists in exercising their right to peaceful protest. The government’s response to such incidents will be closely watched, with many calling for greater accountability and protection for students’ rights.
