Delhi University Protest Turns Political Row Amid Allegations of Threats and Assault

A protest at Delhi University ’s Arts Faculty on Friday over the implementation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) new rules against caste-based discrimination snowballed into a political row after the student group, All India Students’ Association (AISA), alleged targeted threats against its activists. On the other hand, a YouTuber, Ruchi Tiwari, alleged assault and molestation by some protesters from the student group. Police on Saturday said cross complaints have been received, based on which FIRs have been lodged. “Complaints have been received and we are examining available CCTV footage to ascertain the sequence of events,” a senior officer said, adding that medical examinations were conducted wherever necessary. Police filed cross FIRs on Saturday under BNS sections 74 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint) and 3(5) (common intent), said officers. In an official statement, the AISA on Saturday said that Tiwari, who has “developed a notorious reputation of creating chaos and inciting violence in this social movement has taken a victim stage, while AISA activists are being targetted, getting rape and death threats constantly.” Tiwari, however, told reporters that she had gone to the campus to cover the protest. “I’m a journalist and I go to various places to cover events. I reached the campus yesterday to cover a protest,” she said, adding that some people were already targeting her beforehand due to her past videos going viral online. She alleged that protesters demanded she reveal her caste and then attacked her. “Despite so many people crowding me and trying to hurt me, they have alleged that I physically assaulted them,” she said, adding, “People in the crowd gave me rape threats and threatened to parade me around naked.” According to AISA, tensions started building up after what it described as a stay on UGC regulations that “invoked widespread anger among the students and teachers from SC/ST/OBC communities”. Its public meeting on Friday, the group claimed, at the Arts Faculty was peaceful but “several miscreants tried to provoke, create chaos and incite violence”. It alleged that Tiwari arrived with others and immediately identified and started harassing a Dalit journalist after which AISA activists intervened. Referring to videos circulating online, the student outfit claimed that one clip showed Tiwari attacking the journalist and then hurling a punch at an AISA activist. The other video showed activists holding Tiwari while taking her to the police. “Maar ke bhaagi hai ye, isko police ke paas lekar jaana hai (She tried to run away after hitting us, we need to take her to the police),” one of them said. On the other hand, Tiwari claimed that two women held her arms back while someone choked her from behind amid the chaos. She further alleged that students from AISA tried to tear her clothes and molest her. According to AISA, when activists went to the Maurice Nagar police station to file a complaint, a mob, which was already there, allegedly hurled abuses, rape threats and murder threats to the activists. For several hours, the group said, they were “taken hostage inside the police station by the hate mob.” It also claimed slogans such as “Goli maaro saalon ko” and “Brahmanvaad zindabaad” were raised outside.