Puducherry: Former BJP parliamentarian Tarun Vijay faced the ire of Pondicherry Central University students who protested against his remarks about South Indians. The university campus witnessed a string of clashes between protesting students and police when the latter tried to forcefully remove the protesters leading to a lathi charge. About eight students were injured and about 15 students were arrested and later released.
Tarun Vijay was invited to speak at a seminar on Thursday, titled ‘Great Tamil Culture, Ambedkar and Nationalism’ organised by Akhil Bharat Vidyardhi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of BJP. Trouble began the moment organisers requested Mr Vijay to speak. The police rushed to the auditorium as protesting students stood up, shouting slogans. Police tried to forcefully remove students from the auditorium and fisticuffs started between students and police.
Students continued their protest outside the auditorium raising slogans like ‘Tarun Vijay go back’, Down racism’. The protest intensified as the programme continued inside the auditorium. Clashes between students and police continued for nearly two hours and about eight students, including girl students, were injured when police lathi charged the protesting students.
Some woman students alleged that senior police officers used abusive and filthy language against them. The arrested students alleged that some of them were beaten up by the police inside the police vehicle. Students continued their protest in front the Vice Chancellor’s chamber against giving permission to conduct the programme even after different students’ organizations and student council of the university objected it. Students dispersed after the vice chancellor ensured to look into the matter.
