Right-wing activists barge into FTII, clash with students over Babri banner
A group of ten persons barged into FTII's campus and tore up the banner, which read 'Remember Babri, Death of Constitution' and clashed with the students
Members of right-wing outfits and the students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) clashed on Tuesday afternoon over a banner put up by the students’ association at the institute, which read ‘Remember Babri, Death of ConstitutionRemember Babri, Death of Constitution’ in a reference to the demolition of the mosque in 1992.
The police, however, arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control. The incident took place a day after the grand consecration ceremony of the Ram Lalla idol in Ayodhya.
At around 2 pm, a few members of right-wing organistions chanting 'Jai Shri Ram' barged into the FTII campus located on the Law College Road in Pune. They pulled down the banner and set fire to it. Even as they made inflammatory speeches.
The situation escalated, leading to violence with several students, including a female student, getting injured in the melee.
Policemen on the spot reportedly failed to take decisive action, a student said. A student said, "Many students were beaten up, including a female student, and many were in shock, but at no point were the students provocative." A witness recorded the entire clash and the video has gone viral.
Meanwhile DCP Sandip Gill told PTI that a group of ten persons barged into the institute's campus in the morning. They tore up the banner and clashed with students.
According to the police, preliminary investigations revealed that a banner was displayed on the campus by the FTII Students’ Association.
The banner read ‘Remember Babri, Death of Constitution’ and some members of various right-wing outfits entered the FTII campus on Tuesday afternoon and took down the banner and set it on fire while chanting slogans. At this point, a clash broke out between the members of the right-wing outfits and a group of FTII students, said the police.
On asked if any one was injured in the clash, the police said that some people were sent for medical examination and the reports are awaited, said media reports.
According to a report, the FTII students had also screened Anand Patwardhan’s acclaimed documentary Ram ke Naam.
Police are recording the statements of students and investigations are on.