The Delhi University North Campus on Monday saw protests by right-wing student and teacher organisations against 'anti-national' activities by "left-leaning" students.The Rashtiya Swayamsevak Sangh-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) held a "Tiranga march" protesting against "left-leaning students supporting anti-national activities", while the Rashtravadi Shikshak Sangh, a teacher's body affiliated to the RSS, organised a dharna to protest against what they termed as "leftist conspiracies". Members of the BJP-backed National Democratic Teachers' Front (NDTF) also took part in it. The protest marches came days after clashes erupted between activists of the ABVP and the left-wing All India Students' Association (AISA) outside Ramjas College after the RSS' students body forced suspension of an event to be addressed by JNU student Umar Khalid on February 21.Khalid was jailed in 2016 on sedition charges for allegedly shouting anti-national slogans.On Monday, protesting students, mainly belonging to the ABVP, marched from Ramjas College to the Arts Faculty holding a large Tricolour and shouting slogans of "Vande Mataram".
They raised slogans about nationalism and blamed the left-wing groups for creating unrest in the university campus."What happened in JNU (Jawaharlal Nehru University), we will not let it happen in DU," Delhi University Students' Union President Amit Tanwar, who is from the ABVP, told IANS.DUSU Vice President Priyanka Chhawari said
"The march is in the solidarity with Ramjas students, who took a stand against people raising anti-national slogans and slogans about the freedom of Kashmir on February 22. "There were more than 500 students from Ramjas, who became a part of it." The teachers' organisations also endorsed similar ideologies in their protest outside Arts Faculty."Around 300 people became a part of this programme today in response to what leftists did in Ramjas College," a Kirorimal College teacher and member of Rashtravadi Shikshak Sangh, Pramod Shastri told IANS."We won't let their ideologies bloom here in the campus. Leftism has vanished from India and from across the world. They have been exposed in JNU. Now, they wish to bring their ideologies to Delhi University. We will condemn all their attempts," he said. According to DU President of AISA, Kawalpreet Kaur, ABVP attacks everyone in the disguise of nationalism and the turmoil in DU has nothing to do with her party.
"The debate is being polarised as if it is violence between left and right," Kaur told IANS. "Our DUSU secretary stated that any student who takes part in any anti-ABVP possession, will have his fingers chopped.""They vandalised the February 21 programme at Ramjas that was being organised by teachers and students of the college. AISA is a body of common students who were just there." "They have never respected the Tiranga (national flag) and now they are trying to justify their violence by labelling teachers and students as 'anti-nationals'," she questioned."Who is national and who is anti national? Is it ABVP's duty to certify everybody's nationalism?," Kaur questioned. Students and teachers from the university will now hold a peace march at Khalsa College on Tuesday along with AISA workers in an attempt to restore peace and safety in the campus.