Sonam Wangchuk Solidarity Protest Turns Violent in Santiniketan, Students on Hunger Strike Allege Assault by ABVP
Amarabati Bhattacharyya | 19 July 2026 | Alt News
A group of students of Visva Bharati university in Santiniketan on Saturday alleged that several members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) attacked them while they were observing a 24-hour-long hunger strike and protest in solidarity with Sonam Wangchuk.
The protest was not limited to Visva-Bharati students but was open to students and supporters of the cause from across Santiniketan. According to the organisers, nearly 40 people participated in the demonstration.
The peaceful protest, which began at 10 am opposite the university’s Central Library, was disrupted around noon. The situation turned violent when around 30 individuals, whom the protesters identified as ABVP members, allegedly clashed with the demonstrators, assaulted some of them, and tore apart their banners.