Violence and coercion have no place in campus politics: DUSU President on pro-UGC protest

New Delhi [India], February 14 (ANI): Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) President Aryan Maan on Saturday condemned the attack on female journalist Ruchi Tiwari, who was allegedly targeted by a mob of nearly 500 people while covering a pro-UGC protest.
"The Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) strongly condemns the reported assault on journalist Ruchi Tiwari of the YouTube channel Breaking Opinion at the Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi," said Maan in a statement.
In its statement, Maan asserted that violence and coercion have no place in campus politics. He declared that disagreement must be addressed through dialogue, not disruption or force.
"The Delhi University Students' Union firmly believes that disagreement must be addressed through dialogue, not disruption or force. Violence and coercion have no place in campus politics," said Maan.
Referring to the assault on journalist Ruchi Tiwari, the DUSU President asserted that such incidents severely damage the reputation of the University of Delhi.
"Universities are meant to be spaces of dialogue, debate, and democratic engagement. Any act of intimidation, manhandling, or violenceespecially against a member of the media performing her professional duty, stands in direct contradiction to the values that academic institutions are meant to uphold. It is deeply concerning that during an ongoing protest at the Faculty of Arts, a journalist was allegedly targeted while questioning certain protesting students. Such incidents damage the reputation of the University of Delhi and undermine the spirit of free expression that student organisations often claim to defend," added Maan.
While condemning the attack, Maan called for a thorough investigation and demanded strict action against those responsible.
"DUSU calls upon the University administration and Delhi Police to conduct a fair and impartial inquiry into the matter and to take strict action against those found responsible. Ensuring the safety and dignity of all individuals on campus, including journalists, is of utmost importance," added Maan.
Meanwhile, DUSU Joint Secretary Deepika Jha also condemned the incident, alleging that the Left is trying to destabilise the university, and said that appropriate measures, such as installing CCTV cameras and taking action against the involved professors, will be taken by DU authorities.
"UGC is giving commendation to the left and this is causing a lot of wrong actions. We will take appropriate action based on this. The Left is trying to break the backbone of Delhi University. But we will not let them succeed... They have always tried to divide the nation and continue to do so... Soon CCTV cameras will be installed in the campus premises, pink booth is already there... Appropriate action will be taken based... The professors, reportedly present there, will be subjected to appropriate action by the DU authorities...," she added.
Earlier, chaos broke out during a protest backed by Left-backed student unions at Delhi University, which resulted in a face-off between two student groups and scenes of alleged violence. The protesters demanded that the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations be amended to eliminate caste discrimination on campuses across India.
A face-off between two student groups led to claims and counterclaims, with each side accusing the other of violence and intimidation. 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.
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.
Amidst all this, 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.
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. (ANI)