Inside the Azim Premji University flare-up: Vandalism, ABVP–AISA face-off, FIRs against students

Azim Premji University (APU), Bengaluru, has reacted to the violence and vandalism allegedly carried out by the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) on its campus on February 24 in protest against the observance of Kunan Poshpora Remembrance Day by lodging police complaints against students who had organized the programme.

The event was convened by Spark Reading Circle, a group spearheaded largely by students affiliated to the Left-backed students’ outfit, AISA.

According to the FIR copy accessed by the Alt News, university registrar Rishikesh BS lodged a complaint at Sarjapur police station against the admins of the Spark Reading Circle’s Instagram page, under Section 299 BNS and sections 66(E) and 67 of the Information Technology Act, on the ground that they organized the programme without the varsity’s permission.

A second complaint was lodged by the security manager of the university against ABVP members for assaulting students and six members of security staff. The FIR dated 24 February 2026 invokes Sections 115(2), 118(1), 324(4), 189(2), 191(2), 190, 351(1), 352 and 329(3) of the BNS.

Indian Army personnel, during an anti-militancy search operation in the twin villages of Kunan and Poshpora in Kupwara district of Kashmir, were accused of carrying out mass sexual violence against women on the intervening night of February 23 and 24, 1991.

Estimates of the number of survivors vary widely, ranging from around 23 to nearly 100. The Indian Army has consistently denied the allegations, and initial official inquiries dismissed the claims. Survivors, however, have alleged that around 125 personnel from the 4 Rajputana Rifles were involved in the incident.

What’s there in the Complaints?

In his complaint against Spark Reading Circle, the APU registrar stated that on Tuesday, he was alerted by journalists to a post shared on the group’s social media handle. The post described the alleged mass rape of women in Kunan-Poshpora on the intervening night of February 23–24, 1991, claiming that armed personnel cordoned off the villages, detained and tortured men, and sexually assaulted women aged between 13 and 80. It further noted that no convictions have been secured in the case in the 35 years since, and announced a discussion on “violence by the Indian state in Kashmir” to be held on February 24 at Kabira within the university campus.

The Registrar alleged that Spark Reading Circle had previously circulated “false propaganda” about the university and, in this instance, had posted content that could “create hatred between two groups” while misusing the institution’s name. He further stated that the university administration had no prior knowledge of the proposed event—titled “Free Kashmir”—and that no written permission had been granted for it.

According to the complaint, the “unauthorised meeting” led to a group of 15–20 “activists” entering the campus, assaulting students and security personnel, damaging university property, and raising slogans against Spark Reading Circle and AISA. The Registrar also alleged that the group infiltrated nearly 400 metres into the campus from the main gate.

However, a second police complaint accessed by Alt News, filed by security manager S Wilson, mentions members of the ABVP as the perpetrators. According to this complaint, ABVP members assaulted students and at least six security guards, forcibly entered the campus, and attacked a first-year BA student, who had to be hospitalised. It further alleges that the group threatened to kill anyone who tried to stop them, vandalised university property, destroyed the university nameplate, and wrote graffiti such as “Ban Spark” and “Ban AISA” on campus walls.

A Blow-by-blow Account of the Ruckus

Alt News spoke to several students to get a clear idea about what transpired on the fateful day.

Tensions flared at Azim Premji University (APU) in Bengaluru on Tuesday after the Spark Study Circle, a platform affiliated with the All India Students Association (AISA), announced a programme to mark Kunan Poshpora Remembrance Day at Kabira, a venue within the campus. Details of the event were shared on the group’s Instagram page.

Two posts about the programme were made in succession. The first scheduled the event for 6 pm, which was later revised to 8:30 pm. ABVP activists, however, mobilised around the initial timing, gathering outside the university from around 5:30 pm.

A second-year undergraduate student said that around 30 people had assembled near the university entrance by 6:00–6:15 pm, carrying ABVP flags and posters. They allegedly forced their way through the main gate, raising slogans such as “Bharat Mata ki Jai”, “Down with APU”, and “Ban Spark”.

The student, who requested anonymity, said, “Initially, there were three to four guards at the main gate, and they were helpless. The group barged into the campus, went out, and then entered again. They broke the university logo, spray-painted walls with slogans, and wrote ‘Ban Spark’ and ‘Ban APU’.”

The same student added that during the unrest, a student returning to campus after offering iftar at a nearby mosque was singled out because of his skull cap and assaulted. University sources confirmed that the assaulted student was not associated with the Spark programme and appeared to have been targeted solely on the basis of his visible religious identity.

What sort of Goondas are these ? No international company will invest in India with this kind of atmosphere !
Goons of ABVP Karnataka barged in and ransacked the campus of Azim Premji University.

PM @narendramodi talks about strengthening democracy abroad, while his goons… pic.twitter.com/g8OA0DFPQp

— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) February 25, 2026

Another student said the disruption continued for nearly two and a half hours. Initially, only a few police personnel were present and remained largely passive, allowing ABVP members to move across the campus, chase and verbally abuse students, and throw chappals at them. University security personnel attempted to form a human chain to separate the groups and were themselves assaulted in the process.

“We are supposed to hold our university fest, Unmukh, on Thursday. The ABVP activists vandalised posters and banners, calling it a meeting spot for ‘urban Naxals’ and ‘anti-nationals’. We were really scared,” the student said.

According to university sources, a larger contingent of Bengaluru Police reached the campus by around 7:15 pm and began detaining ABVP members within 15 minutes. By then, students had also mobilised, leading to slogan-shouting and counter-slogans that further escalated tensions. Videos show that even as they were being taken away in police vehicles, some ABVP members continued to hurl abuses and throw chappals at protesting students, who responded with slogans, while some activists were manhandled by police personnel.

Despite the detentions, a sit-in protest by students continued until around 10 pm. Attempts by the police and university administration to disperse the gathering were unsuccessful. Viral videos from the scene show students raising slogans against the ABVP and in support of Spark.

Even after the ABVP members were taken away, the university gates remained closed, with students reporting difficulty in stepping out for dinner. The situation returned to normal by Wednesday.

Attempt to Defame Indian Army and Support Kashmiri Separatism: ABVP

Speaking to Alt News, ABVP Bengaluru spokesperson Shashank Bopanna said, “On Sunday, we received information that a group at APU was organising a misleading event, using a hypothetical incident to incite anti-national sentiments among students. They were attempting to defame the Indian Army and support Kashmiri separatism. On Tuesday, we reached the university and began protesting peacefully, but were assaulted by security guards. Our members were provoked, and some spray-painted slogans at a few locations. The registrar later spoke to us but did not take responsibility for this event. The police subsequently detained 19 of our members.”

The detained ABVP activists were produced before a magistrate in Anekal district court and granted interim bail. Responding to allegations that a student was assaulted due to his religious identity, Bopanna said, “This is baseless.”

Speaking about the incident, an associate professor at the university told Alt News, “The ABVP had been looking for a pretext to create chaos at Azim Premji University for some time. This time, they seized upon the Kunan Poshpora remembrance event. ABVP workers succeeded in intimidating students and even raised ‘Go back to Pakistan’ slogans while assaulting a Muslim student. They tried to recreate what happened in Jamia, but were somehow stopped.”

“This is alarming, especially as it has occurred in a non-BJP-ruled state. Even as leaders like Priyank Kharge have openly called for a ban on the RSS and its affiliated organisations, ABVP workers managed to enter and vandalise the campus. Police also arrived late, allowing the vandalism to continue for a considerable time. This is deeply concerning,” the professor added.

AISA Bengaluru general secretary Aratrika told Alt News, “Not only ABVP activists, but journalists from Republic Kannada and Times Now also tried to provoke students into making controversial statements. However, the students remained calm.”

Aratrika, who is also the editor of Spark magazine — which organizes study circles across universities and colleges in Bengaluru — said the APU chapter had come under scrutiny following the incident.

When asked whether Spark had obtained permission from the university for the Kunan Poshpora remembrance event, she said, “Spark has been active on campus for around three years. Only recently has the university started insisting that students seek permission even for informal study circles or discussions. Is that how a centre for higher education should function? The university appears reluctant to allow discussion on controversial topics. This is unfortunate.”

However, the Kunan Poshpora memorial programme was ultimately cancelled following the disruption.

In a written response, the university’s chief communications officer Sudheesh Venkatesh said, “A group of around 20 people forced their way into our Bengaluru campus on Tuesday. They raised slogans, vandalised property, and assaulted some security guards and students. They were protesting against an event they claimed was being held on campus. Azim Premji University had not authorised any such event. The university follows strict procedures for organising events, and this programme, allegedly planned by a small group of students, did not take place.”

According to ABVP sources, the organisation plans to take up the issue across Karnataka. “Apart from Spark, the Half the Sky study circle of Mount Carmel College, also affiliated with AISA, had openly posted about the Kunan Poshpora incident. We demand strict action against them as well,” they said.

A section of students Alt News spoke to said the varsity lodging a police complaint against Spark was worrying, since several current students could be implicated. As the complaint does not name any individuals, they say it leaves room for the police to arbitrarily identify and charge students. On Thursday, a student delegation met the university’s vice chancellor, demanding that the FIR be withdrawn and the matter resolved internally.

APU alumni have also criticized the administration’s move. On Friday, an Instagram page named apu_campuspatrike claimed that over 465 alumni had signed a petition opposing the FIR.

According to The Wire, the National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR) — a collective of lawyers, law students, and legal professionals — has also expressed support for APU students and members of the Spark Reading Circle, and urged the university to withdraw the complaint.