BENGALURU: Sarjapura police on Wednesday arrested 20 activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for trespassing and assaulting security guards and a student, as well as vandalising property, on the Azim Premji University premises on Tuesday.
The ABVP activists allegedly went on a rampage during their protest against a programme held on the university premises, which they termed as “anti-national”. Police told TNIE that several activists were taken into custody on Tuesday evening, of whom 20 were later formally arrested following a complaint. The accused, aged between 18 and 25, are students of different colleges in the city.
According to the FIR filed on Tuesday by S Wilson (56), the university’s security manager, around 25 ABVP activists gathered outside the university’s main entrance, raised slogans, and waved the Tricolour after a post about a programme was uploaded on the university website. During the protest, the activists allegedly entered the premises and assaulted security guards and a first-year BA student. They also allegedly issued death threats to the security staff and smeared black paint on the signboard, besides writing slogans such as “ban SPARK” and “ban AISA”.
The security personnel injured are Jagadeesh, Chandan Mahalik, Chitr Bahadur, Naresh, Sripathi and Harish. The injured student, Mohammed Ali Ahmed, is undergoing medical treatment. The college authorities said no programme, as alleged by the ABVP activists as to be related to an alleged rape by an Indian soldier in Kashmir, was held on the premises.
The Sarjapura police have registered a case under Sections 191 (rioting), 189 (unlawful assembly), 351 (criminal intimidation), 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) and 329 (criminal trespass) of the BNS.
Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara said a seminar was being held at the university. “Whatever be the topic discussed at the seminar, no one has the right to interpret it in their own way and assault students. They have taken the law into their hands. There is no option for that, and action will be taken against them,” he said.