Delhi University VC Yogesh Singh appealed for harmony after a protest over new UGC equity rules turned violent. The protest saw clashes between AISA and ABVP, with allegations of casteist abuse and an assault on a female journalist.
Delhi University Vice Chancellor Yogesh Singh on Saturday urged students and teachers to maintain harmony and not engage in any activity that "increases mutual discord."
This comes after chaos erupted at a protest demanding implementation of the new University Grants Commission (UGC) equity guidelines, which the Supreme Court put on hold, citing "complete vagueness" in the rules and potential misuse.
DU VC Urges Harmony
Delhi University Vice Chancellor expressed concern and said that it is the duty of everyone to maintain harmony. "I request all teachers and students of Delhi University to maintain harmony among themselves. Do not engage in any activity that increases mutual discord and harms the image of the nation and the university. The incident at Delhi University yesterday is a cause for concern. Students from all states in India and from all communities study at the university. Social harmony is the greatest thing, and maintaining it is the duty of all of us," Yogesh Singh said in a statement shared from Delhi University's X handle.
मैं दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय के सभी शिक्षकों और विद्यार्थियों से अनुरोध करता हूं कि वह आपस में सौहार्द बनाए रखें। कोई भी ऐसा काम न करें जिससे आपसी मनमुटाव बढ़े और राष्ट्र व विश्वविद्यालय की छवि को नुकसान हो। दिल्ली विश्वविद्यालय में कल जो घटना हुई वह चिंता का विषय है।… — University of Delhi (@UnivofDelhi) February 14, 2026
The Vice Chancellor stressed that the equity rules are under consideration by the Supreme Court and appealed to students and teachers to await the decision. "The new rules of the UGC that have come are currently under consideration in the Hon'ble Supreme Court. I appeal to all teachers and students of the university to maintain their trust in the Government of India and await the decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court," he said.
Student Groups Clash Amid Protests
On Friday, a face-off between two student groups led to claims and counterclaims, with the groups accusing each other of violence and intimidation.
AISA Alleges Casteist Abuse, Attack
According to left backed students union-AISA some of the students were allegedly threatened and subjected to casteist abuse and slurs by the rival student group.
AISA activists say that they had gone to the local police station register an FIR against the alleged attackers. They claim that during this rival student group ABVP, which is affiliated to the BJP, attacked their members.
In its statement, the AISA said, "Delhi Police repeatedly failed to disperse the attacking mob, and even if they moved away, this mob kept coming back. While the lawyer of the students inside was not allowed to enter the police station, the people against whom the complaint was being made entered and with them, some goons even entered the station."
ABVP Alleges Assault on Journalist
Countering these allegations, ABVP alleged that a female journalist, associated with a YouTube channel, was allegedly assaulted by Left-backed student activists.
ABVP said that the incident exposes the violent character of Left-affiliated student organisations, which otherwise claim to champion freedom of expression across universities in the country.
ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma said, "I would like to make a few things clear. The Left was protesting, and a woman journalist with a YouTube channel was present there. She was covering the protest and asked them a few questions. Perhaps they didn't like those questions, or they didn't like the woman journalist, and they indulged in a flight...The videos show that even their male cadre was slapping her, that the crowd was gathering around her, and they were dragging her away.
Journalist Details Alleged Mob Attack
Women Journalist, Ruchi Tiwari, alleged that she was targeted by a mob of nearly 500 people. She claimed that the crowd turned violent after inquiring about her caste and identity while she was discharging her professional duties.
Speaking to ANI, the woman journalist Ruchi Tiwari said, "Video is everywhere, people can judge by themselves as to who provoked whom...I am a journalist who was covering the protest. One of the media personnel called out my name to get my attention. I went up to them, and they then asked my full name and caste."
"The entire crowd came towards me and attacked me. This is clear in the video. About 500 people attacked me. They only have fabricated narratives and allegations. The girls around me whispered rape threats in my ears just because I am a Brahmin; "aaj tu chal, tera nanga parade niklega," is what they said. The men around me said they would teach me a lesson. The girls had held me by the arms and neck. This is an attempt to murder. I had fallen unconscious, but the Police did nothing, " she further claimed.
Supreme Court Stays UGC Regulations
On January 29, the SC stayed the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, following nationwide uproar over alleged "discrimination" against the General Category in the regulations.
The Top Court said that, for now, the 2012 UGC regulations will continue to apply.
The Court opined that there is complete vagueness in Regulation 3 (C) (which defines caste-based discrimination), and it can be misused. "The language needs to be re-modified," the Court said.
After 75 years of trying to make a caste-less society, whether the direction of policy-making is progressive or tending towards a regressive approach, it asked.
The new regulations, introduced to curb caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities, require institutions to establish special committees and helplines to address complaints from students in the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backwards Classes (OBC) categories.
(ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)