Kerala students in DU attacked for wearing ‘dhoti’; MP demands Dharmendra Pradhan’s intervention

NEW DELHI: Some students from Kerala studying in Delhi University were allegedly attacked by an "intoxicated gang" for wearing ‘dhoti’. Terming the incident as a “xenophobic attack”, the Member of Parliament (MP) A A Rahim demanded union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s intervention to bring justice and make Delhi safer for students.

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) also condemned the attack on “outstation” students. According to an official statement issued by SFI North Delhi unit, on the morning of November 1, "ABVP goons" attacked 4 Kerala students with belts in front of DU’s Daulat Ram College while they were going towards their rooms.

“Three attackers who came on a bike stopped them and asked, “Why are you wearing a dhoti?”, “This is not a place for you to wear these stuff” to a student and started attacking with the belts. The drunk goons mercilessly attacked the students while they tried to take the picture of the bike by telling that, “This is from DUSU for you people”, ” said SFI’s statement.

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SFI alleged that there have been hate crimes against outstation stations and recalled last year’s incident where a professor of Kirori Mal College came up with “marks jihad” statement against Kerala students.

MP Rahim urged Pradhan to ensure that such incidents are not repeated and to take measures to make University of Delhi a place where diversity is respected. “It is a shame that such an attack is happening around the campus spaces of one of India’s premier universities and in the national capital. Urgent measures must be taken to ensure that the incident is investigated thoroughly and that the assaulters are found and brought to justice,” he said in a statement to the minister.

Requested urgent intervention of Union Minister of Education, Shri. @dpradhanbjp on the #Xenophobic attack on Delhi University students from Kerala; to bring the culprits to justice, to make Delhi a safer place for students and to make sure that such incidents are not repeated. pic.twitter.com/OKycuasNqF

— A A Rahim (@AARahimdyfi) November 1, 2022

A A Rahim further demanded steps to ensure that students do not fear such “xenophobic” assaults and to sensitize students, administration, and faculty to respect diversity in the university.

On the other hand, ABVP called it an "unfortunate incident" and demanded an inquiry by the DU administration. "It has come to our notice that an unfortunate incident of scuffle between two groups of students happened yesterday's morning at DU North campus. We highly condemn the act and demand an immediate and fair enquiry by the university administration so that justice may be provided to the the students," read a statement issued by ABVP state secretary and Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president Akshit Dahiya.

"It has also been observed that a political outfit is Politicising this incident by doing division and hate mongering among students in the name of North and South India and creating misinformation against DUSU and ABVP. "Dhoti" is an Indian paridhan (attire), which represents Indian culture. Dividing the students by tearing apart the very soul of the nation for mere political benefits is unfortunate," the statement added.