'Desh Ke Gaddaron Ko, Goli Maro Saloo Ko': GN Saibaba Faces Attacks By ABVP As DU College Restricts His Entry

NEW DELHI: Professor GN Saibaba, who was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court in connection to his alleged link with Maoists, has reportedly faced repeated attacks at Ram Lal Anand College, University of Delhi. Meanwhile, the College has issued a notice to the Professor, asking him not to enter the campus “without prior permission.” “Violation of this will be treated as misconduct and interference in activities of the college and you shall be liable for further action for the same," warns a letter penned by the College Principal, Vijay Sharma.

According to student and eyewitness accounts, ABVP members stormed the college’s staff room and tried to attack the Professor on his return to the campus. Rohin Kumar, a student at the college, told The Citizen that “Things went out of order when they entered the college staff room and tried to attack GN Saibaba. The confrontation led to a scuffle with the senior teachers. However, students stood in solidarity with Prof. Saibaba, condemning such act within the premise of the college. However, ABVP goons tried to harass the students as well.”

Kumar relates a version of events, saying that “approximately twenty members of ABVP entered the college premises (mostly outsiders) and even the staff room where they tried to attack GN Saibaba, and in the process got into a scuffle with other senior teachers too. They blocked the staff room and chanted slogans like -'Desh ke gaddaron ko, Goli maro saloo ko', 'GN Sai teri kabr kudhegi, DU ke maidano me' followed by ‘Vande Matram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai.’ Classes were interrupted." 

Kumar says that other students of the college came out in support of Prof. Saibaba. “About a hundred ordinary students stood in solidarity for the college's image not being tarnished by such events. They raised placards which said - 'Please let Peace prevail in our Campus', 'Go by procedure, Don't misbehave with our teachers' but the parishad members slapped our colleagues, snatched placards, and pulled collars.”

“ABVP doesn't want Saibaba to enter the campus as he hasn't been given a clean chit from the court but it's noteworthy that Saibaba is out on bail. Whether he should be reinstated or not is a matter solely to be dealt by college authorities, the university or the prevailing law of the land. There can be multiple views on the ongoing state of affairs but, what students wish is peace in the campus and it becomes the responsibility of each student and teacher to ensure this,” Kumar tells The Citizen. “We all are free to have different opinions on the ongoing state of affairs but we cannot turn the campus into a battlefield. We cannot let mob justice prevail. We demand ABVP follow proper procedure into the matter and stop hooliganism in the campus immediately. We wish that teachers condemn such acts in strongest possible words because today it's GN Saibaba, tomorrow it might be someone else.”

The attack was condemned by several quarters. Nandita Narain, president, Delhi University Teacher’s Association (DUTA), said: “DUTA strongly condemns the attack on Dr. Saibaba by a group of anti-social elements (as quoted in The Hindu). “These elements entered the Staff Room and had a scuffle with teachers, and continued to shout ugly slogans even as an emergency meeting of the Staff Association was taking place. The DUTA expresses grave concern that the college administration as well as the local police did not prevent this violent intrusion,” she added.

DUTA has appealed to the Vice-Chancellor for his immediate intervention in the matter.

Saibaba told FirstPost: “It’s the third attempt on me. In the last five days, attempts were made thrice to physically attack me inside the college campus. The earlier two attempts were made on 21 and 22 April. The police had been called, but they stood like bystanders and no attempt was made to stop the outsider group…. Third attempt was made on 25 April when I went to college to submit my application regarding revocation of my suspension. Suddenly, a group of students barged into the staff room and tried to physically attack me. Due to the students and my colleagues I remained unharmed. The outsiders even attacked my students, who supported and tried to protect me…. Though I couldn’t recognize the members of the group who came to attack me, except the one – the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) joint secretary Chhattrapal Yadav, who the led the group. As I’m on a bail from the Supreme Court and the case is going on, I applied for the revocation of my suspension order and this outsider group demanded otherwise.”

Meanwhile, the College has asked Prof. Saibaba not to enter campus without permission. In a letter, college principal Vijay Sharma has referred to recent visits by Prof. Saibaba to college "unauthorised and unwarranted conduct" and has warned him of action.

It has come to our knowledge that you have entered the classrooms of the college and held interactive session with the students. The Governing Body (GB) has taken serious note of your unauthorised conduct of entering the classes during suspension without any written permission," the letter said.

"Your entry inside the class is unwarranted as during suspension you are not required to teach the students. You are directed not to enter the college without permission as it creates law and order problems," the letter said.

"Violation of this will be treated as misconduct and interference in activities of the college and you shall be liable for further action for the same," it added.