Two ABVP members arrested for assaulting students in Visva Bharati University

Two people, allegedly from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, have been arrested in connection with the assault on students at the Visva Bharati University in Shantiniketan on January 15, said sources. Achintya Bagdi and Sabir Ali Baksh have been arrested on January 16 for beating up students in their hostel rooms, said sources privy to the incident. The duo has also been produced at the Bolpur Court, said sources at the Shantiniketan Police Station.

On Wednesday night, outsiders entered the university’s Vidya Bhavan Senior Boys’ hostel and assaulted at least two students, Anandabazar Patrika reported. The students – identified as Swapnil Mukhopadhyay and Shubho Nath – have reportedly been admitted to Pearson Memorial Hospital. In a video post on social media, one student claimed they were initially accosted on Purba Palli Road and assaulted with rods, wickets and wooden planks before the assailants entered the hostel.

The Students’ Federation of India and All India Democratic Students Organisation alleged that the attack was carried out by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad – the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. The Trinamool Congress on Thursday criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for the attack. “On behalf of all peace-loving citizens, especially students, we strongly condemn the violent acts of students affiliated to BJP on hallowed portals of Visva Bharati, a central university campus,” TMC tweeted. “We welcome swift action taken by police and appeal to the administration to continue action to book culprits.”

Last week, Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta was scheduled to give a lecture at the university, but students had surrounded him and kept him confined to a seminar hall for over four hours. SFI and AIDSO claimed that Wednesday’s attack on students was in retaliation to the protests faced by Dasgupta.