Two student groups of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College under Delhi University clashed outside the college principal’s office on Sunday. The reason for the clash was that the college will not participate in the next Delhi University Students’ Union elections following a diktat from the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC). In the violence, the turban fell off a student, which added more tension.

Viral Video Shows Student Assault

A Sikh student was brutally thrashed, and his turban was removed at Guru Teg Bahadur Khalsa College in Delhi when he was going to file nominations for the student elections. He alleged that some outsiders were present in the college who disrupted the election nomination process.… pic.twitter.com/Z8aHmeg3sX

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A video of the incident has gone viral, showing students congregated outside the principal’s office. Other students suddenly pulled back a red-turbaned student, kicking and hitting him until his turban fell on the ground during the fight. Some students immediately came up and put a stop to the assault, picked up the turban, and handed it back to the student. That student was taken away by those who stopped the assault. At that time, too, the other students stood outside the office and were talking to the college authorities.

The student filed a complaint with the police after his turban was knocked off, and the police registered an FIR based on this under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita. These include hurting religious sentiments, causing harm, criminal intimidation, and being part of a group in the attack. Now, the investigation will start.

Controversy Over College Elections

The battle broke out after the college principal, Gurmohinder Singh, wrote to the administration of Delhi University stating that the college would not engage in DUSU polls. Instead, the college had decided to conduct its own elections as student leaders will be elected by the Staff Advisory Committee. This call had come from the DSGMC which manages four colleges of Delhi University, one of them being Khalsa College. However, this call brought tremendous student protests against the DSGMC.

Student Protests

Student groups of both ABVP and NSUI had assembled outside the college protesting against the decision made to not hold the elections for DUSU. The ABVP has also moved a petition in a Delhi court challenging the DSGMC decision to disassociate its colleges from the DUSU polls.