The Delhi University Students’ Union president, Satender Awana of right-wing ABVP, and his associates allegedly manhandled a group of teachers and used objectionable language against Duta president Nandita Narain, joint secretary Rajesh Jha and former Duta president Aditya Narayan Misra on Monday. The attack on the Duta leaders occurred when the teachers were accompanying a delegation of Daulat Ram College Staff Association and students protesting in front of vice-chancellor Yogesh K. Tyagi’s office.
According to the Duta, the Dusu president jumped over the gate where the teachers were standing and suddenly started making absurd allegations against Mr Misra and Mr Jha like: “These teachers are supporters of Kanhaiya, give pro-Pakistan slogans and support Azadi in Kashmir.”
Mr Awana, an ABVP leader, had in February purportedly warned he would shoot people involved in the controversial JNU event where anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.
“When the teachers protested against these allegations, Mr Awana started catching them by their collar and repeated the same absurd statements. When I came up to find out what the altercation was about, he used extremely objectionable language against me like, ‘apni umar dekh’ and ‘tu Naxal hai,’” said Duta president Nandita Narain. The Duta representatives even appealed to SHO Arti Sharma, but she did not take any action. Strongly condemning this misbehaviour, the Duta alleged that Mr Awana had recently assaulted a physical education teacher in Shri Ram College of Commerce. “We have been demanding a strong action against him, but no action is been taken and no FIR has been filed against him. As a result of this, his behaviour has gone from bad to worse. We want the university authorities to at least take exemplary action against him,” Ms Narain said. However, this is not the first time that the Dusu president has indulged in inappropriate behaviour. Mr Awana is allegedly known for his hooliganism, hate speeches and gendered intimidation, according to the ABVP rivals and Congress-affiliated NSUI.
