NEW DELHI: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), Delhi, strongly condemns the unfortunate incident of vandalism and violent attack carried out by NSUI workers at the Doordarshan office. Such acts are against democratic values. The media is the fourth pillar of democracy, and protests of this nature outside a government and public institution like Doordarshan not only disrupt the system but also undermine the dignity and functioning of institutions. Damaging public property and spreading disorder cannot be justified by any student organisation.
It is noteworthy that senior Doordarshan journalist Ashok Srivastava, during a television show, had responded to a spokesperson who made objectionable remarks about Veer Savarkar. In protest against this, NSUI had called for a Non-Justified demonstration today outside the Doordarshan office in Delhi, which soon turned violent. Vandalism was carried out outside the office, and there were incidents of manhandling with staff members. ABVP strongly condemns this incident and views it as a reflection of the deteriorating standards in student politics. The Vidyarthi Parishad has always believed in expressing its views through dialogue, democratic processes, and within constitutional limits.
Over the past several months, NSUI has repeatedly engaged in violent protests. Whether it is the opposition to the AI Summit at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, vandalism at Rajasthan University, or destruction at the Delhi University Students’ Union office, all these acts reflect the inhumane and violent tendencies of NSUI.
ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma stated that violence has been inherent in NSUI’s nature from the very beginning. From time to time, NSUI indulges in such acts to please its political masters. Attacking an institution of national importance like Doordarshan is an extremely condemnable and disgraceful act. It is not only an attack on democratic values but also a show of disrespect towards national institutions.
ABVP demands that the Delhi Police take the strictest possible action against those involved in this incident, so that such occurrences are not repeated in the future. Even during the UPA government, there have been several unfortunate instances of censorship and attacks on journalists associated with institutions like Doordarshan, which pose a threat to democracy.
