MT Desk: 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.”