Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday defended police action against members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) following protests and vandalism at Azim Premji University, saying the government would not tolerate attempts to disrupt academic programmes or take the law into one’s hands.
Parameshwara said the university had planned to conduct a seminar and stressed that academic institutions must be allowed to host discussions on various subjects.
“They were preparing to conduct a seminar. Let them take any subject. What else will happen in a seminar apart from discussion? There will be arguments both in favour and against,” he said.
Referring to reports that protesters entered the campus and attempted to disrupt the programme, the Home Minister said such actions were unacceptable. He questioned whether the police should remain silent when individuals forcibly enter campuses, disrupt events, or threaten students. He added that the government would take strict action against those involved and ensure law and order and student safety.
Meanwhile, former Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MLA C N Ashwath Narayan said Azim Premji University is a prestigious institution that has made significant contributions to education. However, he demanded that organisations such as SPARK, allegedly sponsored by the All India Students Association (AISA), be banned from operating in universities if found to be involved in activities against national interest. He also called for an immediate investigation into the matter, saying educational institutions must serve as centres of nation-building and not platforms for anti-national activities.
The protests erupted on Tuesday evening at the university’s Sarjapur campus after ABVP members accused a student collective of attempting to host an “anti-national” seminar related to Jammu and Kashmir. The university later clarified that it had not authorised any such event.
According to reports, a group of ABVP activists allegedly forced open the campus gate, entered the premises, and staged demonstrations both inside and outside the university. The protesters reportedly vandalised property, smeared ink on the university’s main signage, and spray-painted graffiti reading “Ban SPARK” on campus walls. They also displayed posters, waved national flags and ABVP banners, and staged a dharna demanding action against the organisers and a ban on the student collective.
ABVP activists claimed the controversy was linked to a programme allegedly organised by SPARK to mark the anniversary of the Kunan Poshpora incident of February 23, 1991. They alleged the proposed seminar was derogatory towards the Indian Army and promoted separatist ideologies, including portraying Jammu and Kashmir as separate from India.
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