AISA, ABVP clash on Lucknow University campus on death anniversary of Rohith Vemula

The clashes started after the AISA organized a programme on the death anniversary of Rohit Vemula with the ABVP opposing the programme.

Lucknow: Members of the All India Students Association (AISA) and the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Tuesday clashed with each other on the Lucknow University campus in Uttar Pradesh on the death anniversary of Rohith Vemula, the research scholar, who died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination six years ago.

The university authorities had to call in the PAC, which used mild lathi charge to disperse the fighting students. Sources said that AISA had sought permission from the university administration to organise the programme on the death anniversary of Rohith Vemula. The university administration did not allow the programme, sources said.

However, the student leaders of AISA went ahead with the programme on the campus. Meanwhile, the students of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) started opposing the AISA programme. The controversy escalated when both students came face to face. To control the clashes, the administration called in PAC which tried to disperse the students using mild force and lathi-charge, but the students started creating a ruckus again.

While the AISA members raised the slogans 'Long live Rohith Vemula', the ABVP members chanted 'Jai Shri Ram'. The ABVP members said that Lucknow University “should not be allowed to become JNU”. The AISA was also joined by other student groups, including Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha. The Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha alleged that the university administration is “continuously working to suppress the voice of students and crush democratic values under the pressure of ABVP”.

Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha alleged that on the death anniversary of Rohith Vemula protests are being organised by ABVP at the behest of the administration. After the confrontation between the two student groups, there has been a lot of tension on the university campus. A heavy police force has been deployed on the campus. Pertinently, Rohit Vemula, PhD scholar at Hyderabad Central University died by suicide on January 17, 2016, due to “caste-based” discrimination.