Girl student beaten over food dispute at South Asian University, cops launch probe as SFI blames ‘ABVP goons’

Girl student beaten over food dispute at South Asian University, cops launch probe as SFI blames ‘ABVP goons’

Girl student beaten over food dispute at South Asian University, cops launch probe as SFI blames ‘ABVP goons’ ByHT News Desk Feb 26, 2025 11:13 PM IST Share Via Copy Link SFI Delhi has demanded action against “ABVP goons” who alleged attacked students and staff due to non-vegetarian food served in the canteen on Mahashivratri.

Delhi police confirmed that a girl student was allegedly beaten up in South Asian University on Wednesday, after a video of the assault went viral on social media, an incident being blamed on members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).

Representational image: Delhi police have confirmed that a girl student was beaten at the South Asian University canteen(Arvind Yadav/ Hindustan Times)

The police stated that there was an argument between a group of students related to food while they were in the canteen and a fight broke out soon after, reported news agency ANI.

“The video of a girl student being beaten up inside South Asian University is going viral on social media. According to Delhi Police, the video is from today and there was an argument between two groups of students in the canteen over an issue related to food and then a fight broke out. The victim student informed the police by making a PCR call. Currently, the victim is being medically examined and facts are being verified,” Delhi Police said.

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The Students' Federation of India's (SFI) Delhi state committee issued a response, demanding immediate action against the “ABVP goons” and claimed that the argument was over the serving of non-vegetarian food in the canteen on Mahashivratri.

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The victim called the police control room (PCR) and informed them of the situation. The police told ANI, that the victim was being medically examined and that the facts of the case were being investigated.

After the video of the attack emerged, SFI Delhi wrote a letter claiming that students were targeted for not complying with the ABVP's “draconian and undemocratic demand that no non-veg should be served in the university mess owing to Maha Shivratri.”

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The union stated that the South Asian University Mess was a common space for students of all faiths and to cater to the dietary practices of any one community was undemocratic and unsecular.

In the letter, SFI Delhi stated that the ABVP allegedly “grabbed the hair of women students” and attacked staff who were serving non-vegetarian food as well.

“Such violent goons and their draconian principles of exclusion have no place in our university campuses that are supposed to be democratic, secular and safe spaces of education. The students of SAU believe that these goons will continue these attacks in the campus to unleash more violence against the common students,” the statement said.

The union demanded strict action from the university administration to prevent any further violence from taking place.

ABVP also issued a response claiming that around 110 students at SAU were fasting on Mahashivratri and had requested the canteen administration to arrange satvik food for them.

“Accepting this demand of the students, the university administration arranged satvik food in one of the two different messes. But it is extremely unfortunate that some leftist goons deliberately tried to spoil this religious harmony. When satvik food was being served in the mess designated for fasting students, people associated with SFI tried to forcibly serve non-veg there,” the ABVP claimed.