Veer Savarkar’s bust blackened at Delhi University

After paying respects to the busts of Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose, NSUI Delhi president Akshay Lakra blackened Savarkar’s bust and raised slogans against him.

The controversy over an unauthorised installation of VD Savarkar’s bust at Delhi University snowballed after National Students Union of India (NSUI) members sooted the bust and garlanded it with footwear late Wednesday night.

Controversy over unauthorised installation of VD Savarkar’s bust at Delhi University snowballed after NSUI members sooted the bust and garlanded it with footwear. (HT FILE)

After paying respects to the busts of Bhagat Singh and Subhas Chandra Bose, NSUI Delhi president Akshay Lakra blackened Savarkar’s bust and raised slogans against him.

“By putting Savarkar on the same pedestal as Bhagat Singh and Bose, they tried to whitewash history and paint Savarkar as a patriot,” Lakra said. “We will not let Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) use Singh and Bose as political pawns.”

Lakra submitted complaints to police, claiming he received “life-threatening calls” for his protest against Savarkar.

On August 20, Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) president Shakti Singh placed the busts outside the varsity’s Arts Faculty to “inspire the youth by their legacy”. “Since November last year, we had been writing to the university administration, seeking permission to install the busts. There was no response. So, we had to take some steps,” Singh had said.

On Thursday, some youngsters, claiming to be members of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BYJM), poured milk over Savarkar’s bust and garlanded it with flowers. Shakti Singh filed a complaint against Lakra, saying the latter had hurt the sentiments of students by sooting Savarkar’s bust along with trying to disrupt law and order situation.

DCP (North) Nupur Prasad confirmed that the police had received a complaint and were examining it.

The ABVP on Wednesday said it had clarified to DUSU that “the busts should be kept in the DUSU office till permission is granted and should be installed only after the due permission of the administration”.

University proctor Neeta Sehgal said since ABVP condemned the act, they were sure the structure would be removed. “We are sure that they will abide by their commitment. If they said that they will remove it, that is the best way out (by waiting for them). We are simply going by their commitment. They are responsible people and they will remove it.”