The ABVP, a student organization in Uttar Pradesh, is currently in a state of conflict with its own government. The organization, in response to a statement by Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar, conducted a series of protests and demonstrations. The situation culminated in demonstrations outside Rajbhar’s residence. The genesis of the issue can be traced to the Shri Ram Swaroop Memorial University in Barabanki, where students first raised concerns about the law course. The subsequent actions, from the initial protests to the responses by various parties, are detailed below.
The ABVP, linked to the BJP, started its protests at the Ramswaroop University in Barabanki. On September 1, students began protesting concerning the LLB course and the suspension of ABVP members. The primary grievance was that the university had been running the law course without accreditation from the Bar Council of India (BCI) since 2022, potentially affecting students’ futures.
During the Monday morning protests, LLB students, joined by ABVP activists, held a peaceful demonstration despite heavy rain. According to reports, the university administration summoned the police as the crowd grew. The situation worsened when the police used a baton charge during the protest. The students were attempting to engage with the Vice-Chancellor concerning alleged irregularities at Ramswaroop University. The clash between students and police resulted in injuries to at least 25 ABVP members, and five police officers, including CO City Harshit Chauhan, received minor injuries.
The baton charge triggered intense anger among the students. They accused the police of brutality and claimed that outsiders, allegedly backed by the university administration, attacked them. Tensions rose when the students and their parents prevented District Magistrate (DM) Shashank Tripathi and SP Arpit Vijayvargiya from visiting the injured students at the hospital. The crowd chanted slogans and demanded immediate justice.
Later that night, ABVP activists protested outside the DM’s residence, burning effigies and marching to the SP’s office, continuing the demonstration into the late hours.
Minister OP Rajbhar’s comments on the police action against ABVP activists and the problems within the law degree program fueled the existing tensions.
Rajbhar stated that the country is governed by the constitution and law. He advised the students to approach various officials. Rajbhar also stated that the police acted correctly when they used batons against the ABVP members.
Following the minister’s remarks, the ABVP’s anger intensified. On Tuesday night, students protested outside the residence of Cabinet Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar in Lucknow, chanting slogans against Rajbhar and the government. The demonstrations grew to the point where the students burned an effigy of Rajbhar and scaled the gate of the residence, shouting slogans against the government and the police administration.
The police intervened to stop the protestors, leading to confrontations and the detention of several activists, who were subsequently sent to Eco Garden.
The incident has caused political tensions throughout the state. CM Yogi has responded by taking immediate action. This includes placing three police officers on line duty due to the lathi charge. 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. Additionally, the government has tasked IG of Ayodhya range Praveen Kumar and Barabanki Commissioner Rajesh Kumar to investigate the incident.
Pushpendra Bajpai, the Awadh province secretary of ABVP, stated that they demand strict action against the university administration and the responsible police officers. He also affirmed that the movement will continue until justice is served to the injured students. ABVP and other student organizations are demanding the dismissal of the university’s Vice-Chancellor, reinstatement of the expelled students, and a clear resolution concerning the recognition of the law degree. They have warned that the protests will escalate if their demands are not met.
Vice-Chancellor Vikas Mishra stated that the incident was not caused by the university’s students, but by outsiders. He said that the protest started because two ABVP-linked students were suspended. Mishra also said that the university has BCI accreditation until 2023 and has submitted an application for renewal.
The Vice-Chancellor alleged that ABVP activists, many of whom were not students, closed the main gate of the university when approximately 7,000-8,000 students were inside on Monday. He said this caused panic, and parents rushed to the campus, leading to a confrontation between local people and ABVP activists. The university’s faculty and law department students were not involved.