Right-Wing Protesters Revisit SRFTI, Clash with Cops
Priyanka Dasgupta | 05 October 2026 | Times of India
Kolkata: In a near repeat of Sep 27, supporters of the Bangiya Hindu Jagaran Manch on Sunday attempted to break through the gates and enter the SRFTI when blocked by police. The protesters hurled bottles and stones and kept pushing and shoving the gates, reigniting tensions on campus. Students and professors were seen standing inside wearing helmets. The Manch, however, claimed they were attacked first.
Students declared a total academic halt until the VC and the registrar resign, taking accountability and issuing a formal apology. The students have also demanded that SRFTI immediately lodge an FIR against the groups —specifically the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) and Hindu Jagran Manch — who organised the rally and carried out the attack.
The second flashpoint in little over a week took place after the Manch held a scheduled protest meeting near SRFTI. Rohit Shaw, South Bengal Hindu Jagran Manch Pranta Pramukh, said it was to protest the disrespect shown to photos of Bharat Mata and Swami Vivekananda on Sep 27.
Addressing the administration's inaction, Nachiket Neelima, general secretary of the SRFTI students' union, stated: "The vice chancellor is standing and doing nothing. He told that we are safe but this is not the safety were talking about. He said that we have to back off. This is our campus and we have not called a rally, We told him that we will not back off. We had not called for a protest. We had placards with photos of Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Gandhiji, BR Ambedkar and Swami Vivekananda."
Neelima further emphasized the complete lack of trust in the administration, noting that the vice chancellor attempted to install CCTVs under the pretext of feeling threatened by students. According to Neelima, it took four days of repeated requests before the administration issued a press release, which she criticized as flawed for claiming normalcy and resumed classes while students were actively observing an academic boycott.
Detailing the events of Sunday afternoon, Neelima added: "On Sunday afternoon, we had gone to have a word with our VC. We expressed our apprehensions and told him that such a rally would compromise our safety and security. He said that he can't do anything is an organisation takes out a rally.”