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Called us ‘cockroaches’, ‘anti-national’: Kolkata's SRFTI students, right-wing group clash during event
The situation turned tense after students objected to outsiders being present on the campus and asked why a private organisation was allowed to hold an event.
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A clash broke out on Sunday between a group of students and members of the right-wing consumer organisation Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) during a programme held at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata, leaving several people reportedly injured, officials said.
Both sides accused each other of assault. Students alleged that ABGP members attacked them, while the organisation claimed that its programme was disrupted and its members were assaulted, news agency PTI reported.
Popular filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also reacted to the incident. Sharing a statement issued by the SRFTI Student Union, he wrote on Instagram, “This is what they stole the votes for in Bengal. This and so much more.”
SFI, ABGP members clash during SRFTI event
ABGP state leaders said the organisation had obtained permission from the authorities to use the institute's auditorium for its programme. The event started at around 10 am.
The situation turned tense after some students objected to outsiders being present on the campus and questioned why the authorities had allowed a private organisation to hold an event at the institute.
In its statement, the SRFTI Student Union said, “The Student Union and the student body were not informed about the event before permission was granted”.
The students then allegedly put up posters near the auditorium to protest the event. This led to a heated argument between the students and the organisation's members.
In a statement, the students' association alleged that the programme's speakers delivered "highly provocative speeches". It further claimed that members of the organisation called students "anti-national", “cockroaches”, "urban Naxals" and "terrorists". The association also alleged that female students were manhandled during the confrontation.
The students' body said around 150 students were present inside the campus following the clash and alleged that they had been "surrounded by goons".
"We were having our practical classes in the auditorium. When we saw people from outside holding a programme there, some of us protested and put up posters on the wall. The members of the organisation then came towards us and started beating us up. We somehow managed to escape towards the hostel," a student told a news channel, as per the report.
An institute teacher also reportedly claimed that he and some colleagues were assaulted when they tried to intervene.
The students' body also alleged that six policemen had detained the main accused in a police vehicle, while a group outside the campus was demanding that they be released.
ABGP rejects allegations
ABGP denied the allegations and claimed that its members were attacked without provocation after students disrupted the programme and tore down posters and banners.
"We had paid ₹15,000 to hire the auditorium and had obtained permission from the authorities. Our organisation works mainly for consumer protection and awareness. But an attempt was made to disrupt our programme, and posters were torn," a member of ABGP told reporters.
He claimed that several ABGP members were injured during the confrontation and said four members of the organisation had been admitted to hospital.
SRFTI says situation under control
An SRFTI official said the authorities were keeping a close watch on the situation and that police had been deployed outside the campus.
The official told PTI that no serious injuries had been reported, including among the students, and that the situation remained under control.
The students also alleged that police personnel were noting down the names and addresses of those filing complaints instead of immediately registering cases against those accused of assault. They demanded that FIRs be registered and staged a protest around a police vehicle.
ABGP, meanwhile, alleged that some of its members were being stopped from leaving the campus and accused the students of creating a hostile atmosphere.
The incident comes a few weeks after ABVP members and Left-wing student groups clashed at Jadavpur University in Kolkata.
With inputs from agencies
