‘Right on ABVP’s part to protest’: Karnataka BJP chief backs Azim Premji University incident

BENGALURU: Karnataka BJP state president BY Vijayendra on Wednesday backed the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members for “protesting” at Azim Premji University in Bengaluru over alleged “anti-national” elements. However, the University has maintained that it did not permit any such event on the campus, and no “anti-national” event took place eventually.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Vijayendra said, “When people carried out anti-India slogans and Pakistan zindabad in Vidhan Soudha, they were let free. Any university, for that matter, should not give scope for Anti-national elements. Yesterday, when such things were carried out its right on ABVP’s part to protest. State government should take action against the organisations that are doing this.”

The ABVP protesters were produced before an Anekal court and were released on conditional bail thereafter. The police on Tuesday detained 19 ABVP activists and filed an FIR against more than 20 ABVP workers at Sarjapur police station.

#WATCH | Anekal, Karnataka | Students affiliated with ABVP staged a protest at Azim Premji University in Bengaluru and smeared black ink on the University’s billboard. (24.02)

(Visuals Source: ABVP) pic.twitter.com/YAMNnTKwnW

— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2026

The Azim Premji University said that a group of 20 people forced their way into its campus in Bengaluru, adding that the group “shouted slogans, vandalised some of the property, and assaulted a few of the security guards and students”. The University strongly condemned “the ruckus and violence” by the “external group of people”.

Meanwhile, BJP leader BY Vijayendra alleged 2.86 lakh vacancies in government jobs despite the state government completing its 2.5 years of tenure. “Yesterday, there was a protest as the government was unable to fill the government job vacancies. 2,86,000 vacancies have not filled. Rahul Gandhi himself said during the assembly elections that they would fill the 2.5 lakh job vacancies. Now it’s been 2.5 years, and they haven’t taken any effort to fill the vacancies,” the BJP leader said.

ನಾಡಿನ ಯುವಶಕ್ತಿಯ ಹಕ್ಕೊತ್ತಾಯದ ಜ್ವಾಲೆಯನ್ನು ಕಡೆಗಣಿಸಬೇಡಿ

ರಾಜ್ಯದಲ್ಲಿ 2.85 ಲಕ್ಷ ಸರ್ಕಾರಿ ಹುದ್ದೆಗಳು ಖಾಲಿ ಇದ್ದರೂ, ಈ ಭ್ರಷ್ಟ @INCKarnataka ಸರ್ಕಾರಕ್ಕೆ ರಾಜ್ಯದ ಉದ್ಯೋಗಾಕಾಂಕ್ಷಿಗಳ ನೋವು, ಆಕ್ರೋಶ, ಸಂವೇದನೆ, ಇಚ್ಛಾಶಕ್ತಿ, ಕಳಕಳಿ ಯಾವುದೂ ಇಲ್ಲ!

ಲಾಠಿ ಚಾರ್ಜ್‌ ಮಾಡಿ ಯುವ ಜನರ ಹಕ್ಕೊತ್ತಾಯದ ಧ್ವನಿಯನ್ನು ಹತ್ತಿಕ್ಕಲು… pic.twitter.com/YJeuRqSej2

— Vijayendra Yediyurappa (@BYVijayendra) February 24, 2026

On Tuesday, the Karnataka BJP held a protest in Dharwad, demanding that the state government provide jobs to unemployed youth.

“Due to the inefficiency and negligence of the Congress government, people are suffering today in Karnataka. In the health sector, there are severe problems that Congress is not able to address. Salaries are not being paid for ambulance drivers. Doctors are going to the streets in the next couple of days as their demands are not being met. Because of the inefficiency of the health minister, Dinesh Gundu Rao, poor people are not getting medicines, and they are forced to purchase from private hospitals. This is the same people who stopped Jan Aushadhi Kendra,” Vijayendra added. (ANI)