DU college student suspended for 'luring' women to Ahmedabad concert ABVP-NSUI spar

New Delhi, Nov 10 (PTI) Ramanujan College of Delhi University has suspended a fifth-semester BA (Hons) Hindi student till February 1, 2027, following a probe by its Proctorial Committee into complaints of alleged misconduct -- inducing female students to travel to a concert in Ahmedabad by offering incentives.

    The suspension triggered a political controversy, with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) targeting the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), saying that the student was an NSUI office-bearer.

    The Congress-affiliated outfit, however, clarified that it also suspended the student during Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) elections and he has no association with the NSUI.

    According to a college suspension letter dated November 6, the action against the student follows allegations that the student had induced female students to travel to Ahmedabad for a Diljit Dosanjh concert by offering them monetary benefits, gifts and other incentives.

    The student has been allowed to appear for scheduled university examinations but barred from participating in regular academic and extracurricular activities during the suspension period. He has also been directed to submit a formal written undertaking, the letter stated.

    The ABVP shared a “document”, dated August 28, purportedly showing that the student was the vice president of the NSUI unit in the Ramanujan College.

    Citing screenshots of purported WhatsApp conversations circulating on social media, the ABVP alleged that female freshers were being lured with concert tickets, travel arrangements and financial incentives.

    The student organisation questioned the NSUI's stance on women's safety and demanded accountability from its national leadership, calling for a transparent investigation and strict action in the matter.

    The ABVP also referred to a 2018 controversy involving allegations of sexual harassment against a former NSUI national president, accusing the Congress-affiliated student wing of double standards on issues concerning women's safety.

    Responding to the allegations, the NSUI condemned the alleged misconduct and said any attempt to exploit, lure or financially induce female students was unacceptable.

    The student organisation asserted that the suspended student had also been suspended from the NSUI during the DUSU elections over alleged anti-organisational activities and indiscipline, well before the present controversy emerged.

    It said the student had no organisational association with the NSUI and his alleged individual actions should not be linked to the organisation.

    "NSUI has always stood firmly for the dignity, safety and rights of women students. We strongly condemn any conduct that attempts to exploit female students through financial inducements or otherwise.... (He) had already been suspended by NSUI during the DUSU elections itself. It is misleading to associate his alleged individual actions with an organisation that had already taken disciplinary action against him," Ravi Pandey, national media in-charge of NSUI, said.

    He demanded a fair and transparent investigation into the allegations and strict action against anyone found guilty.

    "Women's safety is a serious issue and should not be reduced to political point-scoring," he said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)