The Students’ Union of University of Hyderabad withdrew their eight-day protest on Saturday, April 28, after the university administration promised to investigate their demand for an immediate probe into the violent attack that occurred on campus on April 17 on Rama Navami.
The protest was called off after the administration promised to submit its report on the violence on Tuesday, April 30.
The protesting students were demanding a fair investigation into the alleged ‘planned’ attack by ABVP members on students belonging to the left wing Student Federation of India (SFI) and the Students’ Union president Ateeq Ahmed. Members of the Student’s Union had been on a relay hunger strike for the past five days demanding action against the perpetrators.
According to the victims, on the intervening night of April 17, a student belonging to the ABVP attacked a Muslim student associated with SFI in front of his room at J-hostel. Allegedly other ABVP members joined the attack and assaulted the students who came to his rescue.
“A Hindutva pop song endorsing communal hatred was played at the Economics department's farewell party on April 13. The Muslim student who was part of the coordination committee had objected to it. This led to a targeted attack on the student on April 17,” an SFI student leader on the condition of anonymity said.
He alleged that the ABVP members threatened the victim, saying he would “disappear” like Najeeb, and further mocked him by saying “go to Pakistan.” On October 15, 2016.27-year-old Najeeb Ahmed went “missing” from his hostel room at Jawaharlal Nehru University after a clash with ABVP members. The family has been fighting for justice ever since Najeeb’s disappearance, and even after eight years of investigation, no leads have been found.
The SFI members allege that two students involved in the attack hold significant positions in the ABVP. These perpetrators have not attended their classes for the past three semesters leading to their removal from the attendance roll. However, they continue to stay in the campus, the SFI alleged. These students were involved in violence earlier too, they say.
Following the attack, the students had staged a sit-in protest seeking action against the perpetrators. Subsequently, on April 18, a committee with four professors was constituted to submit a report on the violence. However, the protest continued as the students demanded a swift inquiry.
Meanwhile, All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) issued a statement condemning the police and university administration for terming the violent attack as a 'clash between two groups' ignoring the size and strength of the two groups involved. ALIFA demanded that the University authorities must take urgent action in relation to the pending cases committed by current students or those over-staying.