 |
| The ABVP protesters said Siddharth Varadarajan was a pro-naxal, anti-national journalist. Twitter pic |
January 21, 2016, NewsCrunch
ABVP members did not allow senior journalist Siddharth Varadarajan to deliver a talk on freedom of expression at Allahabad University (AU) campus on Wednesday.
The protesting students later reportedly stopped him from leaving the vice chancellor's office until the police intervened to escort him out.
Siddharth Varadarajan had been invited for the talk by Allahabad University Student Union president Richa Singh, the lone independent at the union, whose all other four office bearers come from ABVP.
The ABVP protesters said Siddharth Varadarajan was a pro-naxal, anti-national journalist.
The protesting students later reportedly stopped him from leaving the vice chancellor's office until the police intervened to escort him out.
Siddharth Varadarajan had been invited for the talk by Allahabad University Student Union president Richa Singh, the lone independent at the union, whose all other four office bearers come from ABVP.
The ABVP protesters said Siddharth Varadarajan was a pro-naxal, anti-national journalist.
Siddharth Varadarajan was scheduled to speak at the Senate hall of the Arts campus. After opposition surfaced, the AU authorities withdrew permission for holding the talk at the venue.
 |
| Allahabad University students protesting invite to Yogi Adityanath in November 2015. Photo credit: Shehla Rashid |
Siddharth Varadarajan managed to deliver his lecture at Swaraj Bhawan, a venue outside the varsity campus.
Speaking to The Times of India, an ABVP activist, Yashwant Singh Rana, said "If Yogi Adityanath was not allowed to enter or speak inside the varsity campus, why is this journalist allowed to enter the campus."
ABVP had invited BJP MP Adityanath to inaugurate a students union building on November 20. A group of students led by Richa Singh had gone on protest opposing his entry into the campus.
Richa Singh objected to including her name on the invitation card of Adityanath event and then went on a hunger strike opposing it. As the tension escalated, the district administration barred Adityanath's entry into Allahabad.
Richa Singh objected to including her name on the invitation card of Adityanath event and then went on a hunger strike opposing it. As the tension escalated, the district administration barred Adityanath's entry into Allahabad.
Speaking to Rediff, Richa Singh said the two programmes were different and there was no connection between them. She described Siddharth Varadarajan's talk as an academic event and Adityanath as a controversial man, who spoke against women and Muslims.
Richa Singh is the first women president of AU students union in 128 years. She fought the election as an independent candidate and emerged victorious owing to the support of Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha.
The SP students wing decided to back her after its official candidate's nomination papers were rejected during scrutiny.
 |
| AUSU president Richa Singh described Siddharth Varadarajan's talk as an academic event and Adityanath as a controversial man, who spoke against women and Muslims. |