DU’s Ramjas College sees day-long protests against prof accused of sexually harassment, forcing him to resign

Clashes erupted allegedly  when unidentified people entered the campus with sticks and attacked students. While AISA and SFI alleged that the attackers were ABVP members, ABVP denied the allegations, claiming the left groups were trying to shield the accused professor. A faculty member said, “A clash broke out when a group of students were preparing for protests around 12.30 pm. A heated exchange ensued and a professor had to intervene to request the group to fight for the cause instead of among themselves.”   The faculty member added that after the clash, students again held protests in the evening. With the protests continuing, the professor resigned late evening.

In a statement, AISA accused ABVP members of attacking students and a faculty member from the English Department during the protest. It also alleged that the accused professor was a repeat offender, citing a 2021 complaint that raised similar concerns against him. The group criticised the ICC for not taking timely action on the current complaint, which was filed over 10 days ago.

“…members of the ABVP, some of whom were from outside the college, attacked the protesting students. They beat up common students with sticks and flower pots. One student from the third-year was gravely injured… and he was sent to the hospital,” the statement from SFI said.

The ABVP, meanwhile, denied any involvement in the violence. ABVP Delhi State Secretary Harsh Attri said, “These allegations are completely baseless. A few left-inclined professors tried to heckle ABVP volunteers who were trying to reach the (Dean Students’ Welfare) DSW office to protest… they shielded the accused and were intimidating the students… we have been fighting sincelast month to get justice for the victim.”