Students Clash at Delhi’s South Asian University After Non-Veg Served on Mahashivaratri

New Delhi: A clash erupted at South Asian University (SAU) in Delhi between two student groups after non-vegetarian food was served at the university mess during Maha Shivratri on Wednesday. The altercation occurred between the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Students' Federation of India (SFI) over the serving of non-vegetarian food, despite ABVP’s demand for vegetarian options on the occasion.

Both student groups accused each other of instigating the violence.

ABVP alleged that they had requested the mess administration to serve "satvik" (vegetarian) food for students observing a fast on Maha Shivratri. The group claimed that SFI "tried to forcibly serve non-vegetarian food in close proximity to the satvik food." ABVP further accused SFI of verbally abusing and manhandling members when a polite request was made to move the fish curry away from the vicinity of the vegetarian meal.

“A large number of students observed a fast on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shivratri at South Asian University. Respecting their religious faith and traditions, these students had earlier requested the mess administration to arrange satvik food for them on this special day. The university administration accepted this request and arranged satvik food in one of the two messes. When satvik food was being served in the designated mess for fasting students, members of the SFI tried to forcibly serve non-veg food there,” the ABVP’s official statement said.

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The right-wing student group also claimed that this incident was not an isolated event. In their letter to the university’s proctor, ABVP accused the opposing group of harassment and bullying against students who do not align with their ideology.

On the other hand, SFI accused ABVP of "viciously" attacking university students for not complying with their demand to stop serving non-vegetarian food on Maha Shivratri. In a statement, SFI argued that the university mess is a “common space” for all students and that “forcibly imposing the dietary practices of one community on others is undemocratic and unsecular.”

"ABVP viciously attacked students of SAU in the university mess because they were not complying with ABVP's draconian and undemocratic demand that no non-veg food should be served in the mess on Maha Shivratri. The university mess is a shared space for all students, and imposing the dietary practices of any one community on the larger student body is undemocratic and unsecular," the SFI statement read.

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A video showing a female student being assaulted inside the campus has also surfaced online. According to Delhi Police, the video was taken during an argument between the two student groups in the mess. The victim made a PCR call to the police. She is currently undergoing medical examination, and further investigation is underway.

The SAU administration has not yet issued an official statement on the incident, but the university is conducting an internal inquiry.

The Delhi Police stated that no formal complaint has been filed yet, and the university is continuing its internal investigation.