‘Circle of suspicion’: AISA activists detained ahead of PM Modi’s Delhi University visit

NEW DELHI: All India Students' Association (AISA) Delhi President Abhigyan and AISA Delhi University secretary Anjali have allegedly been detained inside their homes by the Delhi Police ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Delhi University. AISA has written a letter to the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) of Model Town, Delhi, asking to cite the reason for the "forcible detention" as the police personnel "declined to provide any formal order".

The AISA office bearers said that they were being detained as they are in “the circle of suspicion” and that their movements will be restricted for the next few hours “for the safety of the Prime Minister ''.

“Right in the morning, there was police at our door. They were telling us that because the Prime Minister is coming to Delhi University I’m in the circle of suspicion and that there are a few suspicious people in the campus and they have to detain them. We are at Kalyan Vihar on the north campus and the police came right outside our gate and they told us that they will be restricting our movement for the next few hours. Both me and AISA secretary Anjali are held here,” Abhigyan, AISA Delhi President, told Careers360.

AISA has written to the SDM of Model Town, Delhi, to clarify the order based on which the two AISA activists were "forcibly detained" in their homes. AISA said that the the police personnel "denied giving anything in writing or present any formal order for preventive detention". AISA asked the SDM to clarify on "whose order and on what grounds" the detention was being made. In the absence of an order, AISA demanded that "immediate action" be taken against the "erring police personnel".

"A male personnel and a female police personnel were inside the premises of where Abhigyan and Anjali are staying, when they asked the police personnel what their name and designations are, they categorically declined to receive any information about their identity. Similarly, they declined to provide any order or any written information or any material to say that the above-mentioned people are under house detention or preventive detention," AISA wrote in the letter.

The Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) has also alleged that they were denied permission to conduct a "peaceful protest meeting" during the PM Modi's visit to Delhi University. KYS said that they wished to submit a memorandum "on the ever-increasing disparity in education, anti-people NEP 2020, various academic and administrative failures of DU's SOL, imposition of ITEP and irregularities in teachers' appointments".

PM Modi was attending the closing ceremony of the celebrations of Delhi University completing 100 years. His visit was opposed by several student groups.

PM Modi ‘not welcome’ to DU

On Thursday, AISA Delhi had released a statement saying that “Modi is not welcome in our campus” as colleges were forcing students to mandatorily attend the function and banning black dresses.

AISA Delhi also accused the university authorities of taking down their posters in which they questioned the rise of college fees, reduction of university budgets, the government’s reduced spending on education and the deletion of chapters related to Gandhi, Ambedkar as well as caste and gender related topics.

AISA student activists are detained in their house by the Delhi Police on account of PM Modi's visit (Image Courtest:AISA)

Delhi University’s Hindu College on Wednesday issued a notice asking for mandatory student attendance for PM Modi’s event. The notice also banned black clothes and also promised “five attendances” for attending Prime Minister Modi’s live stream event.

Students' Federation of India (SFI) Delhi had also released a statement condemning the decision to declare the gazetted holiday of Eid Al Adha as a working day. They said that the move will “segregate a particular community from the rest”.

They also condemned the “ridiculous notice” released by the Hindu College in which they asked for mandatory attendance and banned black clothes. SFI, in the statement, said that it is “absolutely condemnable for any college to be releasing such dictatorial directives”.