ABVP activists oppose talk by Dr Shamsul Islam at Mangaluru college, detained

MANGALURU: Activists of the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on Saturday attempted to stop a talk by Delhi University retired political science professor Dr Shamsul Islam, but were prevented by the police from disturbing the event. The activists raised slogans saying ‘Go back Shamsul’ and even raised placards.

Dr Shamsul Islam raised pro-Left slogans at the event.

Dr Shamsul Islam was to speak on the martyrs of the 1857 first war of independence at an event organised by the B V Kakkilaya Foundation at the Ravindra Kala Bhavan at Mangaluru University College (UCM) near Hampanakatta. He is a vocal critic of the RSS and the Sangh Parivar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi too. Heavy police deployment was made at the college to prevent any untoward incident.

College students staged a protest near the auditorium.

The ABVP activists tried to barge into the college and gherao it, leading to some altercation with the police. The activists were then detained. They were also stopped from entering the Ravindra Kala Bhavan. Despite the protest, the event continued as scheduled.