Students demand FIR against SBSC Principal
The All India Students' Association (AISA) and students from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College (SBSC) staged a protest outside the Malviya Nagar Police Station on Friday. They demanded the immediate filing of an FIR under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the college principal, Arun K. Attree, over allegations of caste-based discrimination.
The protest gained momentum as Sumit, the student who lodged the complaint against the principal, spoke to the crowd. Sumit, a Scheduled Caste (SC) student, has allegedly accused Attree of mentally harassing him after he was falsely accused of sending obscene messages in an official college WhatsApp group. “I will not bow down to the likes of Attree,” Sumit said. “This fight is for dignity, equality, and justice. I urge all students of DU to join me in this struggle,” he said.
The protest began with a public meeting, where AISA’s Delhi University vice-president Saavy led the charge calling out the unfair actions of the SBSC administration and the systemic impunity that allows individuals like Principal Attree to engage in such acts. “This is not just an isolated incident, but a reflection of a larger issue of caste-based atrocities in educational institutions across the country,” Saavy said.
Dhananjay, JNUSU president , also addressed the gathering, speaking out against the institutionalization of casteism in premier educational institutions, allegedly supported by the BJP and RSS. “These efforts aim to replace it with a Manuvadi model that promotes discrimination. We will not tolerate this,” he said.
The protestors made it clear that they would intensify their movement if the police failed to take immediate action against Attree. The principal, however, has denied the allegations, asserting that Sumit had been instigated by a teacher under investigation for falsifying certifications. Attree also claimed that Sumit himself faced an inquiry due to allegations of hacking and sending inappropriate messages.
In response to the ongoing controversy, the Academics for Action and Development Teachers' Association (AADTA), along with the Delhi University Teachers' Association (DUTA), has written to the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University, urging for an impartial inquiry into the serious caste-based allegations against Attree.
