Student organizations staged protests at Lucknow University during the visit of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, raising slogans such as “Mohan Bhagwat go back” and “RSS murdabad” and accusing the administration of promoting a divisive ideological agenda on campus. 

Representatives and activists from the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Samajwadi Party Chhatra Sabha and Bhim Army gathered near the venue of the programme, saying that the event reflected an attempt to impose a particular ideological framework within academic institutions. 

Protesters said that police personnle stopped them at the entrance of the premises where the event was being held. NSUI member Ahmed Raza said that several students were detained in the morning and shifted to the Hasanganj police station before being released later in the evening. “The RSS has historically fostered a communal atmosphere in the country.

Inviting a figure associated with such politics to a university raises serious questions about the message being sent to society,” Raza said while speaking to media. He stressed that educational institutions must uphold secularism, constitutional values, and academic integrity. Student groups maintained that universities are spaces for rational inquiry, critical thinking, and democratic debate, warning that such visits risk deepening religious polarisation on campuses. 

Another NSUI member Shubham Kharwar said, “The RSS, an organisation led by Bhagwat, has long stood in opposition to the spirit of pluralism represented by the Indian constitution, and a person who contradicts the very idea of India should not be invited to universities.” Samajwadi Party Chhatra Sabha leader Jeetu Kashyap echoed similar concerns, stating, “Ideologies such as the RSS that divide society along caste and religious lines should not find space in academic institutions.” 

Bhim Army student leader Virat Shekhar also criticised the use of university resources for hosting political figures. He argued that public funds should prioritise student welfare rather than programmes linked to divisive politics. “The university that is using educational spaces for such fascists should also be held accountable. Universities run on taxpayers’ money and should not be used as a ground for any ideological warfare.” 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)