Clash at Gauhati University: 8 students injured in altercation over CAA Protest

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 18, 2024

Eight students, including the Gauhati University Post Graduate Students Union (GUPGSU) general secretary Himanjit Deka were injured in a clash between two groups of students-GUPGSU and Assam unit of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Gauhati University campus in Jalukbari here on Monday.

Students of Gauhati University under the banner of GUPGSU were staging a protest against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, while the leaders of ABVP were busy in a state leadership conference at Birinchi Kumar Baruah auditorium in the varsity complex.

Police said the situation was aggravated when some ABVP activists tore down some banners and anti-CAA posters, which were pasted at the main gate of the GU as part of the sit-in demonstration programme of the student body on Monday.

“ABVP members tore down anti-CAA posters displayed at a university gate, sparking confrontations that escalated into a physical altercation,” said GU PGSU president Jintu Das in a press release.

However, ABVP state secretary Herold Mohan refuted PGSU’s claim and alleged that its members faced anti-CAA slogans and were obstructed from entering the premises.

In a joint statement GU PGSU president Jintu Das, general secretary Himanjit Deka, University Law Students Union (ULSU) president Nasibur Rahman and general secretary Anal Ankur Dutta said: “More than 1000 students of the university were staging a protest against CAA at the main gate of the Gauhatu University, while state ABVP was conducting a leadership conference at BKB auditorium. Some ABVP leaders tore down anti-CAA posters and banners in the main gate and mocked the protesters.”

“When asked why they had torn down the posters and banners, the ABVP leaders questioned who is PGSU and how it got permission to stage the protest. However, our members once against pasted the posters in the main gate,” the statement said. 

“But the ABVP members came forward to physically attack our members. They even assaulted PGSU general secretary Himanjit Deka and threw sandals at them. Some of our members were injured in the incident,” they said.

“This has encouraged our members to proceed to the BKB auditorium and sought an apology from them. However, they fled from the scene leaving the BKB auditorium abandoned. We sang our jatiyan sangeet inside the auditorium and came back to our place of protest,” they added.

Denying the claims of the GUPGSU, ABVP state secretary Henold Mohan said: “AASU and NUSI activists were desperate at the meeting of the ABVP inside Gauhati University.”

“It was a predetermined meeting and we got approval from the university for the meeting on March 1. We paid the dues for booking the hall for the meeting. More than 1,000 students joined the conference.” Mohan said.

“Initially, they prevented us from entering the campus. They entered the auditorium and obstructed us from holding the meeting. They threw sandals at our members and used foul language with our members. They created an unholy atmosphere and tore out our banners and posters,” Mohan also said.

“They entered into the auditorium and assaulted our leaders and members. We doubt that the GU vice-chancellor and registrar are involved in this incident. We called them several times but they did not call the police to bring the situation under control,” he said.

“We condemn such acts of AASU. Moreover, the AASU office inside the university campus is not acceptable to us. It is illegal. If the university authorities allow AASU to set up an office here, they should allow all ethnic student groups to set up offices inside the university campus,” he added.

The first session of the ABVP conference concluded, but they could not hold the second session due to the prevailing situation.

ABVP national general secretary Yagywalkya Shukla was also prevented from entering the auditorium for the conference.