Students protesting in DU's Campus Law Centre allege manhandling by police; university refutes claims

NEW DELHI: Some students of the Delhi University's Campus Law Centre on Friday alleged that they were manhandled by police during a protest they staged after being denied keys to a seminar room a day prior to an event. However, police have denied the allegation. Delhi University Proctor Rajni Abbi said police were called to maintain law and order and "not a single student was touched".

The students were staging the protest against the decision of authorities to not provide a room to them for the seminar -- 'Challenges to the Indian Constitution' -- on Saturday. The main speaker at the event is senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan. The students had demanded that the keys to the venue be given to them a day prior to the event.

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"There is a scheduled event at the Campus Law Centre on Saturday. Some students went to collect the keys for the venue but the authorities denied them (the keys), saying no such event will be held," Delhi AISA president Abhigyan said. He claimed that when students started protesting, authorities called the Delhi Police inside the campus. Police personnel thrashed several students and some were injured, Abhigyan alleged. "The students were manhandled. Violence was unleashed on students. Several were injured and bleeding," he said.

The proctor said that police were called as students were creating a "ruckus". She maintained that "no action and no force" was used against them. "The students were not allowing the Dean's office to be closed, so we had to call police. I can guarantee no action was taken against the students," Abbi said, adding that "if the students will not clear the premises, they will be removed".

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A senior police officer refuted the allegations by students, saying the proctor had given in writing that they be vacated from the area, and no force was used during the process. When asked whether the event will be allowed to be held on the scheduled day, Abbi said if students continue their protests, then it will not be allowed. "They are politically motivated people. They have shown this before the event itself. They are raising slogans and creating a ruckus, such behaviour will not be tolerated on campus," she added.