Ramjas scuffle: MoS Ahir hints towards foreign influence as potential cause

Hinting towards foreign influence as a potential cause of the unrest in Delhi University's Ramjas College, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on Monday said the violence is a result of the students being influenced by foreign powers.

"Certain foreign powers, just like in the case of JNU, are trying to entice the youth against the nation through anti-national sloganeering, which is a disappointment. The government tried to keep a check in order to reduce such instances, but the students must also take care and think in favour of the nation," Ahir told ANI.

He further mentioned that the police would take necessary steps in case someone has been harassed or threatened.

"There is nothing that would come out of sloganeering. If someone has been harassed or has received threats to safety they must make a complaint and the police will look into the matter," he said.

Ahir also appealed to the students to focus on their studies and not be influenced by foreign forces.

The statement came days after a clash broke out between the All India Students Association (AISA) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on February 21 after the members of the latter staged a protest outside Ramjas College against an event that had Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) student Umar Khalid as a speaker.

The two-day seminar was organised by Wordcraft, the Literary Society of the College, on 'Cultures of Protest' a series of seminars exploring representations of dissent in literary productions.

According to the college authorities, the event was cancelled to maintain peace in the campus.