Students protest increase in curbs, barricading at Ambedkar university

Over 70 students on Thursday gathered in front of the main gate of Dr BR Ambedkar University Delhi (AUD) to protest the “increase in restrictions and the barricading of the campus”.

The protest was triggered by a case of sexual harassment that occurred in broad daylight on August 5 on the Madrasa road — deemed very unsafe by area residents.

“Instead of addressing the genuine demands of students, the administration responded by erecting even more barricades and deploying additional guards, shutting down the campus further and curtailing students’ movement,” the All India Students’ Association (AISA) said.

During the protest, AISA councillors addressed the crowd, with one stating: “The administration, under the garb of security, has systematically restricted democratic spaces. The so-called ‘security measures’ have only served to shield the administration from accountability while isolating students from their own campus. Shockingly, a notice has been pasted on the main gate of the AUD, restricting student entry — a move reminiscent of colonial-era exclusion and administrative negligence.”

As the protesting students sang songs of resistance and raised slogans, AISA councillors pushed for a meeting with the university administration.

“AISA representatives will meet the Registrar tomorrow at 9 am to press for the immediate withdrawal of these draconian measures,” the AISA said. “The university belongs to its students, and cannot be turned into a fortress under the administration’s control. The fight for campus safety, democracy, and student rights will continue until the draconian restrictions are rolled back from the campus — named after Ambedkar.”