Despite ABVP threat, activist Seema Azad addresses students at Panjab University

Activist Seema Azad delivered 7-minute speech in front of V-C office disguised as a Kurukshetra girl; a posse of 100 cops failed to prevent or arrest her.

In the end, the day that began as a tense one for Panjab University passed off peacefully, but left varsity security and the UT police red-faced as journalist-turned-activist Seema Azad, the speaker, whose presence the Akhil Bharatiya Janata Party (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, had vowed to oppose with ‘lathis and swords’ on Thursday managed to deliver a seven-minute speech on Friday.

Activist Seema Azad delivering a speech on the Panjab University campus on Friday. (Karun Sharma/HindustanTimes)

A posse of 100 cops and 100 ABVP members stood around as Seema was introduced Kriti, a turbaned girl student from Kurukshetra, as the 21st and the last speaker at a seminar titled ‘Rising Head of Fascism’ in front of the vice-chancellor’s office around 6pm. Before that, she had been standing among the 300-odd Student for Society (SFS) supporters at the make-shift venue.

On Friday, PU gave its nod to hold the seminar after a three-hour meeting attended by leaders of all student organisations; MC join commissioner; Mc additional deputy commissioner; hostel wardens; police and PU security officials.

The organiser, SFS, was allowed to hold the seminar in the law auditorium, if they gave in writing that Seema will not be invited. However, the SFS did not give it in writing and changed their venue to the space in front of the V-C office.

Seema had easy exit from PU

After completing her speech, where she did not say anything controversial, she was ushered off to a car.

A few ABVP leaders did shout that she could be Seema, but SFS leaders distracted the crowd by running towards the sports ground. In the time the confusion subsided, Seema had left the varsity.

Reactions post-event

Emanual Nahar, dean students welfare, said, “We maintained law and order as they was no violence or clashes. Anything else was the duty of the police. Seema Azad did not speak anything anti-national.” A senior police official said, “We remained vigilant.

The girl, whom we now find is Seema Azad was introduced as Kriti from Kurukshetra. There was no reason for suspicion as she did not utter anything provocative. Law and order was maintained. If needed, we will arrest her now.”

The issue

The developments at PU came days after ABVP members allegedly attacked activists of Left-leaning student groups at Ramjas College in Delhi over inviting JNU student Umar Khalid to a seminar, re-igniting a debate on free speech and nationalism. ABVP and SFS members had clashed in the university campus on February 27 over the violence at Ramjas College. Then, PU denied permission to SFS to hold a seminar on ‘Rising Head of Fascism’, where Seema Azad was invited.