The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists led a march on Thursday demanding action against "anti-national activities" in the Delhi University. Several people tweeted that there were slogans of "desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalon ko" (shoot down traitors of the country) raised at the march near the North Campus' Art Faculty.
The march is seen as a counter to one by the Left-leaning All India Students Association (AISA) on 22 February at Ramjas College.
Members of ABVP allegedly clashed with college students, journalists, and teachers who had gathered to take out a march against the RSS-backed group's disruption a day earlier at a seminar in which JNU student Umar Khalid was invited. Thousands of students of Delhi University marched this week again at the Khalsa college to protest against ABVP's supposed strong-arm tactics to further an aggressive brand of nationalism at college campuses.
Here's one video from the march today.
The ABVP members, who have termed its protest #SaveDU, the same as the Ramjas protests, gathered outside the Arts faculty, and waved a giant tricolour, reported Indian Express.
The ABVP also displayed the pictures of BJP members who have lost their lives in political violence in Kerala.
Victims of lefts' violence is are being showcased at DU today by @ABVPVoice . pic.twitter.com/uSP6CUZeN3
— Anindya Banerjee (@AninBanerjeeeee) March 2, 2017
However, the call to unite against those who raise anti-India slogans soon dissolved into open threats and abuses against a perceived enemy. The call to shoot anyone who indulged in "anti-India propaganda" could be seen an an open incitement to violence, especially in a democracy that guarantees freedom of expression and has a flourishing legal system that is more than able to handle criminal activities, without ordinary citizens having to take the law into their own hands.
Their march also called for a ban on Left groups on campus. The anti-nationalism debate has flared up once again. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju yesterday said DU student Gurmehar Kaur was a pawn of the Left groups and accused her of speaking against India.