Students burn copies of Manusmriti

: Protesting against “caste-based discrimination” of Dalit students, a group of students in Delhi University burnt copies of ancient text Manusmriti.

Activists of Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) and Left-backed All India Students’ Association (AISA) burnt pages from the text which they claimed made “derogatory” references against women and people from lower castes.

While KYS members gathered outside Hans Raj College to protest against the “casteist administration of the college”, AISA held the event at Arts faculty.

According to the police, three students were detained at the Maurice Nagar police station in connection with the protests, but were later released.

Last month, two students who left Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad citing differences over its handling of the JNU row, had burnt pages of the text despite the varsity administration denying permission for the same.

The university had issued show-cause notices to five students asking them to explain their position on the event.

However, no action has been taken against anybody in this regard.

The students said that the text

made ‘derogatory’ references

against women