Hundreds of students attend 'Save DU' march, chant slogans against ABVP

New Delhi: A day after RSS’ youth wing ABVP held its ‘Tiranga’ march in the national capital, hundreds of students and teachers from Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University (DU) on Tuesday gathered at Khalsa College to participate in the 'Save DU march', to protest against last week's violence at Ramjas College.

Many of the assembled did not vow allegiance to any particular political outfit, Hindustan Times reported. The protesters claimed they had gathered there to protect their freedom of expression, and exercise their democratic right to agitate.

With chants of 'Hum honge Kamyab', 'ABVP why so creepy?' and 'Delhi Police why so sleepy?', the protest march crossed Lady Sri Ram College and moved towards the Arts Faculty.

Some students even held up copies of the preamble of the Indian Constitution to assert their rights to protest.

Waving Indian flags, students were also heard shouting "This country is ours, not the fiefdom of thugs. This is not a fight between Left and Right, it is a fight against goondas."

JNU's Kanhaiya Kumar and Shehla Rashid also joined the anti-ABVP protest march.

Tight security has been put in place in view of the march.

Earlier in the day, Delhi University student and daughter of martyr Gurmehar Kaur, who faced much flak for her social media campaign against ABVP, declared that she was withdrawing from the 'Save DU' campaign.

“I’m withdrawing from the campaign. Congratulations everyone. I request to be left alone. I said what I had to say…I have been through a lot and this is all my 20 year self could take :)” she tweeted on Tuesday morning.

Kaur however urged Left-wing students to continue with the planned protest march today. “The campaign is about students and not about me. Please go to the march in huge numbers. Best of luck,” she tweeted.

She added,“To anyone questioning my courage and bravery.. I’ve shown more than enough. One thing is for sure, next time we will think twice before resorting to violence or threats and that’s all this was about.”

Kaur has been promised security by the Delhi Police after she complained that ABVP cadre threatened to rape her.

The genesis of the ABVP-AISA clash was an invite to JNU student Umar Khalid, facing sedition charges, and Shehla Rashid to address a seminar at Ramjas College on 'Culture of Protests' which was withdrawn by the college authorities following opposition by the ABVP.

This triggered clashes between ABVP and other opposing student groups.