Premium

Uproar over LSR college principal’s cameo in BJP video: Students protest still on, say not all demands heard

The escalation on Thursday came alongside many students alleging that the LSR administration had contacted their parents regarding their participation in the protests.

4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 17, 2026 10:33 AM IST

On Wednesday, Kanika Ahuja had told The Indian Express that her remarks shared in the video were made in a personal capacity. (Photo: LSR website)

Protests by students continued at the Lady Shri Ram College for Women (LSR) on Thursday, a day after demonstrations first broke out over Principal Kanika K Ahuja’s appearance in a video shared by the BJP’s official Instagram handle, in which she praised the Women’s Reservation Bill.

Seeking dialogue with the LSR administration and raising concerns over alleged restrictions on campus dissent, the students claimed that while the Principal met them on Thursday, she did not hear all their demands. “Today, we were supposed to meet the principal in the auditorium to discuss our list of demands, but she did not hear all of our demands,” a third-year student who was part of the protest said.

The controversy stems from a video posted on April 13 on BJP’s ‘BJP4India’ Instagram handle, in which Ahuja described the Women’s Reservation Bill as “a constitutional course correction” that was “long overdue,” and expressed hope that it would enable more women, including LSR students, to assume leadership roles. On Wednesday, students had raised slogans against what they described as the “saffronisation” of the college, pointing to politically-affiliated speakers being invited to the campus.

The third-year student emphasised that the protest was not directed at the legislation itself. “We are not against the Bill, we are simply against the fact that our college and its principal should not be associated with a specific political party,” the student said, adding that they are “peacefully demanding a dialogue with the principal so that she can listen to their demands”.

On Wednesday, Ahuja had told The Indian Express that her remarks shared in the video were made in a personal capacity. “The views were shared in the video in an individual capacity… it is important to distinguish between personal intellectual engagement with a social subject and a formal institutional communique,” she had said, adding that support for the Bill was rooted in “the fundamental principle of gender justice”.

The student, however, said that Ahuja’s claim of expressing “personal views” was difficult to reconcile with the video that identified her as the LSR principal.

Throughout Thursday, students circulated a formal statement reiterating that “this protest was not against the Women’s Reservation Bill,” but was triggered by “the platform on which it was delivered”, calling the use of a party’s official page “explicitly political” and in contradiction with the college’s stated commitment to being “apolitical”.

Story continues below this ad

In their list of demands, they sought a “formal statement clarifying that… students were not engaging in a conversation about the Bill”, and called on the administration to “ensure that all political engagements on campus remain strictly non-partisan”.

On Wednesday, Ahuja had said the college’s commitment to an apolitical environment “refers to an absence of partisan affiliation, not a detachment from critical social discourse”.

Further, the statement by students demanded that the college “condemn the harassment faced by LSR students on online platforms and in public spaces”, and urged the authorities to ensure that “no student should be persecuted by the administration for dissent in any form”.

The escalation on Thursday came alongside many students alleging that the LSR administration had contacted their parents regarding their participation in the protests. The college did not respond to queries on such claims.

Story continues below this ad

Adding to the tension was an email sent to students and the students’ union by the college administration on Thursday, referencing a March 23 notice issued by the University of Delhi’s Proctor’s Office, which mandated prior written permission for any form of assembly or protest on campus and warned of disciplinary action, including possible rustication or police proceedings, for violations. It also urged the union to “ensure full compliance” with the regulations, and encourage students to attend their classes”, while asking students to treat the matter “with utmost seriousness”.

“I, staff advisors, faculty and others in the administration have remained in active dialogue with students to address campus concerns. To ensure transparency, the Proctor’s Office of the college has shared official Delhi University guidelines for protest/dharna… with students to keep all stakeholders informed of DU’s regulatory framework and safety protocols,” Ahuja said on Thursday.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
Lady Shri Ram College

Loading Recommendations...

May 15: Latest News

Live Blog