College students in Rajasthan’s Barmer have alleged that they were detained for calling the district collector, Tina Dabi, a “reel star”—a charge rejected by the well-known Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.
The students claimed they were staging a protest against an examination fee hike outside Barmer’s Maharana Bhupal College Girls’ College on Saturday and wanted to meet Dabi. They said they believed that since the IAS officer had cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination on her first attempt at the age of 22, she would be receptive to their concerns.
The situation, however, escalated when an official described Dabi as a “role model” for the students. Some protesters, affiliated with the BJP-backed student body Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), disagreed with the official.
“The collector is not a role model. If she were, she would have come here to listen to the demands of the students. She is a reel star, goes everywhere to make reels, but does not pay attention to our problems,” they alleged.
The students further claimed that they were detained after their sit-in protest concluded. Following this, several students gathered outside the police station, demanding the release of those allegedly detained. However, senior police officer Manoj Kumar said that no one was detained or arrested.
Tina Dabi rejects allegations
Tina Dabi rejected the allegations, saying in a statement to NDTV, “No one was arrested or even detained. Some students, despite the fee hike issue being resolved, were blocking the road and trying to create a nuisance. They were taken to a police station by my subordinates for discussions and to cool down. They left two hours later, and the issue on the ground was resolved.”
Her response came after several people, including Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, criticised her over the alleged incident.
Just another day of a bureaucrat being intolerant in India.
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) December 22, 2025
They continue to bypass harsh scrutiny despite their corruption, power drunkenness and now intolerance. pic.twitter.com/8OAMLwZG4r
In a post on X, Priyanka Chaturvedi wrote, “Just another day of a bureaucrat being intolerant in India. They continue to bypass harsh scrutiny despite their corruption, power, drunkenness, and now intolerance.”
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