DUSU removes busts of Savarkar, others from campus

New Delhi : The ABVP-led Delhi University Students' Union has removed the busts of V D Savarkar, Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose from the campus, the student outfit said in a statement on Saturday.

The ABVP, however, claimed that the Delhi University has assured them that the busts will be reinstalled in accordance with the procedure after the DUSU polls are concluded. The busts of the trio were installed on August 20 by outgoing DUSU president Shakti Singh without taking permission from the varsity authorities. They were removed on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

"ABVP-led DUSU has removed the busts of Veer Savarkar, Bhagat Singh and Subhash Chandra Bose till permission is obtained from the DU Administration. The busts have been kept (at a) safe (place) by the varsity," the RSS-affiliated outfit said in a statement.

Some students taking part in a protest against the installation of a bust of V D Savarkar in the Delhi University were detained on Friday to avoid a clash with another group present at the spot, police said.

The students, however, claimed that a "peaceful signature campaign" had been organised by different students' bodies. Police said some protesters were detained from outside the Arts Faculty, where the busts have been installed, to prevent a clash with another group of students which was present there.

The students were taken to Maurice Nagar police station and later released, they said, adding that the protesters were aggressive. Refuting the claims, the students said their "peaceful signature campaign" was interrupted by police personnel who tore their pamphlets.

DU administration officials said the ABVP office-bearers have assured them that the busts will be moved to another location. Sources in the ABVP said they will be shifted in a day or two.

Earlier, the ABVP had asked DUSU office-bearers to install the statues as per the procedure, it claimed. The students' body also demanded "stringent legal action" against members of the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) for allegedly blackening the bust of Savarkar on Thursday.

The ABVP claimed left-affiliated student organisations along with AAP's CYSS and the NSUI had "stooped to a low level" and were harming the "the culture of debate and discussion, prevalent in the university". "ABVP strongly believes that the Left, AAP and the student organisations affiliated to the Congress should stop insulting freedom fighters to meet their trivial political interests," it said.

ABVP Delhi's State Secretary Sidharth Yadav said: "It is very unfortunate that the DU administration turned a deaf ear to DUSU's demand for installation of busts of freedom fighters, for a very long time.

The university should restore these idols, as per their assurances, at the earliest." The manner in which other student organisations have carried out such extremely unfortunate acts reveal the real and degraded mindset of these student organisations towards freedom fighters, the repercussions of which they will face in the times to come, he added.

"At the same time, the Congress should understand that its 'Kaalikh model' is not going to hide the reality. We have decided to remove the busts because we don't want to do politics over the name of freedom fighters," he said. No immediate reaction was available from the university.