Delhi Police, student protesters clash near RSS outpost

 Demonstrations outside the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh‘s (RSS) office in central Delhi on Saturday, January 30th 2016, ended in confrontation when Delhi Police moved to disperse the students, allegedly at the behest of the RSS. Accounts of what occurred during the incident diverged sharply between the Delhi Police, protesting students and observers present at the scene near the RSS Delhi headquarters.

Students from multiple university organisations had assembled in Jhandewallan to protest government policies they said contributed to the death of Rohith Vemula, a research scholar at the University of Hyderabad. Vemula’s death this month has triggered nationwide student mobilisation. Demonstrators called for the resignation of Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani and Union Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya, whom they hold responsible for administrative decisions affecting Vemula.

Delhi Police, student confrontation at RSS office

The Delhi Police deployed to the location when the students reached the RSS office vicinity. Officers began to disperse the gathering. Participants reported that police used batons against demonstrators, striking both men and women. Video footage and photographs circulating on social media showed scenes of apparent physical confrontation. Several individuals appeared to sustain injuries during the encounter.

Journalists covering the demonstration reported being targeted during the police action. Cameramen said the equipment was damaged during the encounter. One cameraman stated that officers deliberately destroyed his camera. The Delhi Police did not acknowledge these allegations.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division) issued a statement denying that officers had employed excessive force. The DCP also stated that RSS members had not participated in the police action, despite video evidence circulating online that appeared to show individuals in RSS attire among those involved in the confrontation.

Wider context

Today’s incident occurred against a backdrop of escalating tensions between student movements and security forces across India. Over the preceding months, police actions against student protests had become more frequent. Maharashtra police had intervened in demonstrations by Film and Television Institute students. Delhi Police had used force against scholars protesting the cancellation of non-NET scholarships. Paramilitary forces had been deployed at Delhi University during a protest linked to a seminar on Ram Temple construction.

These successive incidents had prompted civil liberties advocates to raise concerns about restrictions on protest activity. Student organisations characterised the pattern as evidence of coordinated suppression. Government officials described police actions as necessary responses to disruption.

Official positions

The Delhi Police hierarchy falls under the Union Home Ministry, which is overseen by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Singh holds longstanding connections to the RSS. The alignment raised questions among critics about the independence of policing decisions during the period. Police leadership denied that political considerations influenced operational choices.

The RSS, through official channels, denied involvement in today’s incident. The organisation stated that only police officers acted to disperse the demonstration. However, video documentation suggested otherwise. Images and footage appeared to show that, apart from Delhi Police personnel attacking students, individuals identified as RSS members have also been participating in the confrontation.

Escalating unrest

Student organisations have, meanwhile, announced plans for a larger demonstration on February 2nd outside the Delhi Police headquarters at ITO junction. Organisers said the gathering would protest what they characterised as state violence against peaceful assembly. The announcement signalled an intention to sustain pressure on authorities regarding both immediate police conduct and broader government policies affecting higher education and student welfare.

Today’s Delhi Police attack on students, allegedly at the behest of the RSS, represents one of several escalations between state security forces and student movements since Narendra Modi became the prime minister. The incident highlights tensions between government authority and student dissent, tensions that show signs of spreading through subsequent university campuses across India over the following months.