Bid to screen BBC documentary sees familiar script in DU, Ambedkar University

Two screenings were scheduled at Arts Faculty — one by the Congress-backed National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) outside the gate at 4 pm and the second by the Bhim Army Student Federation (BASF) at 5 pm — and police were called in to prevent them from going ahead.

Before he was detained, Dinesh Kumar, general secretary of NSUI, Delhi, said: “We are requesting the police to please let us protest peacefully, but they are not allowing us.”

Meanwhile, the BASF tried to screen the documentary inside the Arts Faculty campus as Section 144 was imposed outside. As soon as they started, security guards ran in and intervened. The group then moved towards the gates and started protesting. Police then entered the premises and requested students to disperse, after which the BASF walked out of the campus towards Vijay Nagar.

The DU administration said no permission was given for either screening, with Proctor Rajni Abbi saying “we don’t know if the protesting students were from DU”.

DCP (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said a total of 24 students were detained from outside the Arts Faculty gate in order to prevent any disturbance of peace in the area. Police also imposed Section 144, which they said was due to Republic Day to maintain law and order. All detained students were released from Maurice Nagar police station by evening, said police.

At AUD, the screening was scheduled for 1 pm by members of the SFI and AISA and about 100 students gathered at the canteen. Students claimed the administration had removed the cloth set up for screening, following which they watched the documentary on their personal devices.

Neville Thomas, a second-year MA sociology student and AISA member, alleged: “I entered the campus around 11.30 am and the guards tried to check my bags…”

Nadia, SFI secretary, said: “We held this screening in solidarity with Jamia and JNU, and it has been successful. This is a victory of the students’ committee.”

Anshu Singh, assistant registrar at the Public Relations Office of AUD, told The Indian Express that “students have not asked for any permission to screen this documentary on campus. The screening is not permitted”.

While police were present, they said they were there on a preventive basis to stop what happened in JNU and Jamia from repeating. Before entering campus, police addressed the media and said everything was under control and that the university had given no official complaint so no action would be taken. DCP Kalsi told The Indian Express that no police action or detention was done at Ambedkar University.