New Delhi, 27 February (HS): The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has condemned the stampede-like situation and subsequent use of force by police during the annual fest at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College under the University of Delhi, and demanded immediate measures to ensure student safety during upcoming college festivals.

In a press release issued on Thursday, ABVP stated that the incident occurred due to inadequate arrangements at the entry gate on the second day of the annual fest, where students from various colleges had gathered in large numbers. According to the statement, insufficient crowd control measures led to a stampede-like situation, following which personnel of the Delhi Police allegedly resorted to a lathi charge, resulting in several students sustaining serious injuries.

The organisation demanded that the Delhi Police administration take cognizance of the matter and initiate appropriate action against personnel responsible for the lathi charge.

ABVP also urged the University administration to ensure comprehensive crowd-management planning for forthcoming festivals. It called for adequate security arrangements, well-organised entry and exit systems, and a fully functional emergency response mechanism.

Delhi State Secretary of ABVP, Sarthak Sharma, termed the use of lathi charge against students during a cultural and academic celebration as condemnable. He stated that university campuses are centres of knowledge, dialogue, and creativity, and larger student participation in such events is natural.

He further suggested increasing the number of entry and exit gates to ensure orderly movement, restricting entry to individuals with valid identity cards, and ensuring emergency preparedness, including availability of ambulances and fire department vehicles, to prevent any casualties.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar