Delhi University’s (DU) Shaheed Bhagat Singh (Evening) College Principal has written to the university alleging that Tushar Dedha, who is the president of DU Students’ Union (DUSU), barged into a classroom and manhandled a teacher.
Meanwhile, the student leader has filed a counter-complaint claiming he was subjected to derogatory and casteist slurs, reported PTI.
The incident took place on Friday, February 23, and a video has gone viral on social media purportedly showing Dedha accompanied by a group of students engaging in a heated argument with professor Jeetendra Kumar during a lecture, which turned violent prompting the college security to intervene.
"I have already written to the college administration and expect that the university will take appropriate action. I am not against any individual or organisation. However, such actions should not be tolerated on campus," Kumar told PTI.
Principal Arun Kumar Attree has written to Director of South Campus, Sriprakash Singh, to take cognizance of the incident and initiate necessary action against the students involved in "trespassing, misbehaviour and manhandling of the teacher".
"This is to inform you that today, February 23, 2024, we have received a complaint from Jeetendra Kumar, Assistant Professor in the Department of political science of the college, informing that while he was taking his class at 4.15 pm, students, one of whom was DUSU president Tushar Dedha, along with his supporters barged into the classroom to talk to students,” the letter read.
The teacher had allowed only two DUSU representatives to talk to students, but a large number of his supporters entered the class and then, Tushar and his supporters misbehaved with the teacher and manhandled him, it added.
The security guards who reached the spot to help the teacher were also manhandled, the professor alleged.
"The students and teaching fraternity of the college are agitated by the incident and have demanded legal action against Dedha and his associates," Attree told PTI.
The college's staff association along with students who were eyewitnesses to the incident have filed a complaint against the DUSU president with the principal, according to the letter.
The college has not received any response from the university administration so far regarding its letter dated February 23, Attree added.
Student leader complaints
Meanwhile, Dedha has also written a letter to DU Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh complaining that he was obstructed from speaking to students and was subjected to casteist comments by Kumar during a campus visit campaign to address the issues of students.
"When I asked Professor Kumar to (allow me to) enter the classroom to interact with students, he misbehaved, threatened and tried to stop me from speaking to students. He also tried to provoke the students in the classroom against me. He used derogatory and casteist comments upon me. The classroom was also occupied by security guards and non-teaching staff who were involved in manhandling," he claimed.
Dedha also complained that Attree has "intervened" in the matter to "crush the mechanism of students' union" in the college and demanded action against the teacher and the principal of the college, added PTI.
Teachers, students react
Condemning the incident, DUTA President A K Bhagi told PTI, "The Delhi University Teachers' Association rejects any act of violence against teachers. Any issue should be resolved through dialogue."
"The ABVP-led DUSU enjoys immunity from the administration because of its affiliation from the ruling party. They have time and again engaged in vandalism and hooliganism openly on campus. The university administration should take action against the students union," Abha Dev Habib, Secretary, Democratic Teachers' Front, told PTI.
The incident has also drawn criticism from the Left-affiliated students' unions including DU Students' Federation of India (DUSFI), and All India Students' Association (AISA) demanding the suspension of Dedha from his post.
