BJP youth wing members vandalise Bangladesh food stall at Pune college event; FIR being registered, say authorities
The international food event with the motto ‘One World. Many Cultures. One Celebration’ was held at Pune’s MIT-WPU and had food stalls from multiple countries.
Members of the BJP’s youth wing vandalised a Bangladesh food stall at an international food event held at Pune’s MIT-World Peace University (MIT-WPU) on Tuesday. The event was titled World Cultural Festival, with the motto ‘One World. Many Cultures. One Celebration’, and had food stalls from multiple countries.
The Kothrud police have sought information about the incident, and college authorities said they were in the process of filing a police complaint.
A video of the incident uploaded online showed Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members confronting the students and security guards at the stall, raising religious slogans, and later vandalising the stall. The national flag of Bangladesh was also vandalised in the incident.
An international student present at the event told The Indian Express, “This group of 20-30 men attacked the stall after the event. We had already asked all Bangladeshi students to go inside, but one girl was out…”.
The incident also raised safety concerns regarding the entry of unauthorised people inside the university campus. “The attackers did not have ID cards and were not from the college. I don’t understand how they got entry at the main gate,” the student said.
Ganesh Pokale, Registrar, MIT-WPU, accepted that the vandals were not from the college. “These were outsiders. We are in touch with the police and in the process of filing a complaint,” he told The Indian Express.
In a statement shared later in the day, Pokale said, “An unfortunate incident occurred during the World Cultural Festival…The World Cultural Festival is an annual university event held to celebrate cultural diversity and provide a platform for international students, similar to events organized by other universities every year in the city. The University remains committed to ensuring a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all.”
BJP Youth Wing members vandalise a Bangladesh stall at MIT-WPU in Pune at an international food festival held on February 10. Stalls of various countries were present and college authorities said they will be filing an FIR at the Kothrud Police Station. pic.twitter.com/7HZxSTea4i
Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Deshmane said that the Kothrud police were aware of the incident and had reached out to the university for details.
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A day later, on February 11, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha members painted a big Bangladesh flag on the road outside the gate of MIT-WPU and vandalised it. College authorities later covered the flag with mud.
Dushyant Mohol, president of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, posted a video of the incident on his Facebook page. In the caption, he threatened MIT and other colleges in Pune, saying that any future events with such stalls would be destroyed.
In a statement shared with The Indian Express, Mohol said, “We received information from local students over the phone that some foreign students are glorifying a particular country through food stalls on their campus. We contacted the local MIT administration and officially registered our protest…But unfortunately, the MIT administration did not take cognisance of this serious issue.”
He added, “Considering the feelings of the students, on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, we registered our protest at the relevant place. We burned the flag of Bangladesh; our clear message was that things that create glorification of countries that are anti-India will not be tolerated on the campus.”
Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting.
Professional Background
Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune.
Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics.
Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories:
1. Investigations & Governance
"Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents.
"44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families.
2. Education & Campus Life
Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University.
"Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial.
"Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers.
3. Human Rights & Social Issues
"Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India.
"'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying.
Signature Style
Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty.
X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More
