On February 28, Delhi University witnessed a historic march in which over 2,000 students, teachers and alumni walked through North Campus in defense of free speech and against the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

The march had support from much of the Left, with student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, Sitaram Yechury of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Swaraj India’s Yogendra Yadav making speeches to express their solidarity with the protesting students. Yechury promised students that this issue would be raised in Parliament.

The protests were against ABVP, whose members and supporters allegedly pelted stones and assaulted students in and around Ramjas College on February 21. The next day saw a riot-like situation develop when students, teachers and journalists at a march led by All India Students’ Association (AISA) were attacked. Although ABVP has denied responsibility and counter-accused AISA of violence.
Two ABVP members –Prashant Mishra and Vinayak Sharma — were held after an FIR was lodged against them for allegedly attacking a group of AISA supporters on Wednesday. Mishra and Sharma have been suspended from ABVP for their “indiscipline“.

The DU community has decided to march from Mandi House to Parliament Street on March 4.