A student activist of Delhi University on Thursday alleged that she was ‘attacked’ by members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) while speaking at an event in Satyawati College on digital safety.
The student alleged that the “goons” had even “threatened to kill her.”
“I was one of the guest speakers at the talk. It was after I finished my session that I witnessed assaults by the ABVP. They continued the assault on the professors, organisers and me for more than half an hour after which I was finally rescued by the professors and students who formed a human chain for me,” she said.
‘Women safety’
Adding that it was ironical that she was attacked while speaking on “women safety on digital media”, she added, “This is a reality of Narendra Modi’s digital India that when women talk about harassment on digital media, she will have to undergo assaults and violence by its students’ group.”
‘Misbehaved with staff’
Denying the allegations, Kunal Yadav, secretary of the Satyawati College students’ union, claimed that the student had “misbehaved” with the staff.
In a letter to the college administration, Mr. Yadav said, “She misbehaved with the staff and students by using abusive language and with the motive to cause unnecessary chaos inside the college auditorium. We demand strict action against the student and her supporters who are responsible for creating such nuisance in college.”
However, Shaili Chopra, one of the organisers of the event, in a tweet said, “We organised a discussion on women’s safety and we had students from unions who came and disrupted over talk at a time when she talked about how womens are trolled. Shocked that this is what colleges are about, politically motivated groups of men threatening and manhandling [sic].”
Complaint
Based on the woman’s complaint, the police registered a case on Thursday night under Sections 354A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 506 (Punishment for criminal intimidation), and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North-West) Aslam Khan said that no arrests were made but the investigation has been taken up. “The victim has given a few names in her complaint. They will be questioned, CCTV footage of the incident and videos that have been submitted will be examined,” she said.
