Bucket of Water Thrown at Historian S Irfan Habib During DU Event, AISA-ABVP Trade Charges

A bucket of water was thrown at historian Syed Irfan Habib while he was speaking at People’s Literature Festival: Samta Utsav at Delhi University’s Arts Faculty. The event was organised by AISA as an alternative to the official university festival.

Bucket of water thrown at historian during students' literature festival

A bucket of water was thrown at historian Syed Irfan Habib on Thursday while he was speaking at an event at Delhi University’s Arts Faculty. The incident took place near Gate No. 4 of the Faculty of Arts campus during the 'People’s Literature Festival: Samta Utsav'.

The event was organised by the Left-affiliated All India Students' Association (AISA) as an alternative to the university’s official literature festival, which began the same day.

According to people present at the spot, the bucket was thrown from behind a wall near the venue. Water fell on Prof Habib while he was addressing students.

What S Irfan Habib said at the event

Speaking to Times of India after the incident, Prof S Irfan Habib said he had been invited by students to speak at the event. Around 200 students had gathered to listen to him.

“I had just begun my address and spoken for about 20 minutes when suddenly water from a bucket was thrown from a wall behind me,” he said.

He added that for a few seconds he felt unsettled, but then he continued with his speech. He called the act disturbing and shocking.

Prof Habib said universities should be places where different voices are heard and respected. He also said he was worried for a few minutes because he did not know what had been thrown at him. Later, he confirmed that it was only water. He added that he has spoken at Delhi University many times before and such an incident had never happened earlier.

Videos of the moment were widely shared on social media soon after.

AISA and ABVP exchange allegations

After the incident, AISA accused members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of trying to disrupt the event.

AISA said the separate festival was organised to oppose what it described as the official university festival being used as a platform for “regressive propaganda and communal rhetoric”.

However, ABVP strongly denied the allegations. Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma said the charges were “completely baseless and false”. He said the organisation had no role in the incident and accused Left student groups of spreading misinformation to defame ABVP.

Focus of the Samta Utsav event

The People’s Literature Festival included discussions on issues such as “Caste in Society and University” and “Anti-Caste Poetry and Songs”. The organisers also called for the implementation of the proposed UGC Equity Regulations, 2026.

During his speech, Prof Habib spoke about what he described as attempts at “historical erasure”. He said universities must question and challenge what he called distorted versions of history. Several other academics were also invited to speak at the event.

Questions on campus security

The incident has raised fresh questions about campus security and the political atmosphere at Delhi University. Students and teachers have debated whether enough steps are being taken to ensure safety during public events.

So far, there has been no official statement about any action against the unidentified person who threw the water.

The episode has once again highlighted the sharp political divide between student groups on campus and the need for peaceful dialogue in university spaces.

About S Irfan Habib

Syed Irfan Habib, born in 1953, is an Indian historian of science and a public intellectual. He is known for his research on the social and cultural history of science in colonial India. He earlier held the Abul Kalam Azad Chair at the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration in New Delhi.

Habib studied modern Indian history and completed a doctorate on revolutionary movements in the 1920s freedom struggle. He taught at DAV (PG) College, Bulandshahr, before joining the National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (NISTADS), where he worked from 1984 to 2009.

He has written and edited several important books. These include Domesticating Modern Science, Social History of Science in Colonial India, Indian Nationalism: The Essential Writings, and works on Bhagat Singh and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. His scholarship has received both praise and criticism, but many reviewers regard his work as a significant contribution to the study of science, nationalism and modern thought in India.