ABVP members snatched hijabs, assaulted us at Assam college, say Muslim students
New Delhi: Muslim students at Cachar College in Assam’s Silchar have complained that Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members, the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), snatched their hijabs and assaulted them as the institution moves to enforce a uniform code effectively banning the hijab.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident took place during membership drives conducted by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and the National Students’ Union of India. An argument began after ABVP members objected to Muslim students wearing hijab at the NSUI camp, which later escalated into a physical assault leaving several students injured.
Speaking to local media, a Muslim female student said that ABVP members told them “Cachar College is an educational institution where religion has no place” and then began chanting “Jai Shri Ram”. “They said, ‘You are wearing a hijab today, tomorrow you will start praying here.’ When pooja is held here, we never question why it is happening. Then why are they questioning our hijab?” she asked.
She further complained that ABVP members tried to snatch the membership register and “snatched our hijab, pushed us and touched us. They also beat up the boys badly.”
The incident came a day after a section of students submitted a memorandum to the Cachar district administration seeking restrictions on Muslim religious attire, including hijabs and skullcaps, on campus.
