SFI, ABVP Butt Heads Over Teesta's Lecture

Teesta Setalvad's lecture at the University of Hyderabad (UoH) campus on Saturday ran into rough weather as members of Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) led a protest right into the venue. The situation was, however, quickly brought under control by the students attending the seminar and the police.

Setalvad was at the to deliver a lecture on the topic "Politics in Gujarat: Communal violence and the quest for justice", as was organised by the UoH's student union. Later in the lecture, though, she was interrupted by ABVP activists shouting slogans to make her leave the campus.

However, the acivists were removed from the campus by the students attending the lecture and by other student groups, including Students Federation of India (SFI). SFI activists later reported that Ms. setalvad was able to complete her lecture, and also conducted a Q&A session with the students.

ABVP members, on the other hand, claimed that their protests had forced her to leave halfway through the lecture. The main grouse of ABVP activists was that the lecture had been organised without first informing the ABVP office-bearers. This accusation was dimissed by the UoH students union, the members of which claim that the decision had been taken at the council meeting.

The ABVP members also claimed that the protests had only begun when Ms. Setalvad started making "disparaging" comments on the Hindu youth.