Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) entered the campus of Azim Premji University in Bengaluru on Tuesday, February 24, and staged a protest. They alleged that a programme held on the campus by Spark, a student group backed by the All India Students’ Association (AISA), was “anti-national” and opposed India.
According to ABVP members, the event discussed sensitive issues related to national security and the Indian armed forces. They claimed that the discussion promoted views that were against the country. The protest led to tense moments on the campus, with raised slogans and heated arguments between different student groups.
The programme in question was organised to discuss the alleged mass rape of Kashmiri women in Kunan Poshpora village in Kupwara on February 23, 1991. The incident remains a controversial and widely debated issue, with differing views and legal developments over the years.
Following the ABVP protest, students of Azim Premji University organised a counter-protest later that night. They demanded that the government take action against ABVP members for entering the campus and disrupting the event. The students said universities should remain spaces for free discussion and debate.
University authorities and local police monitored the situation to prevent further escalation. No major injuries or damage were reported. The incident has sparked discussions about freedom of expression, student politics, and the limits of protest on university campuses.