New Delhi: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged protests across university campuses nationwide, condemning the harassment and brutal attacks faced by Siddharth, a second-year Veterinary student found dead at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (KVASU) hostel in Pookode, Wayanad. Siddharth was found dead on February 18, reportedly after enduring severe harassment and attacks from leaders of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) at the University.
ABVP members from various universities, including Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Delhi University (DU), Osmania University – Hyderabad, Hyderabad Central University (HCU), Rajasthan University, Annamalai University – Tamil Nadu, and Gujarat University, staged protests demanding action against those responsible for Siddharth’s mysterious death.
ABVP condemns the violence perpetrated by alleged SFI members, asserting that such actions pollute the academic environment with severe violence and brutality. Siddharth, a second-year BVSc (Bachelor of Veterinary Science) student found dead at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University campus in Pookode, Wayanad, was subjected to a brutal assault and mob trial by SFI members, resulting in severe injuries and humiliation. ABVP demands immediate action against the perpetrators to ensure justice for the veterinary student and his family. Despite repeated incidents of violence and intimidation by alleged SFI members in Kerala campuses, authorities have failed to take concrete action, a situation ABVP finds deeply concerning.
ABVP National General Secretary, Yagywalkya Shukla, criticized the Kerala government for its failure to protect educational institutions from rampant violence, corruption, and what they describe as hooliganism perpetrated by alleged SFI members. Yagywalkya Shukla stated that Siddharth’s death has shocked the nation’s conscience and exposed the deep-rooted issue of ragging in Kerala’s educational institutions. Students from various universities who participated in the protests expressed solidarity with Siddharth’s family and condemned the Kerala government for allegedly allowing educational institutions to become breeding grounds for leftist violence.
ABVP National Secretary, Shravan B Raj, stated that ABVP had demanded a thorough investigation into the veterinary student’s death through protests and hunger strikes outside the Wayanad campus and the Kerala Secretariat. Siddharth’s parents have insisted that his death be investigated as murder rather than suicide, and ABVP supports their demand for a fair and transparent investigation. Raj highlighted what they view as the lack of decisive action against alleged SFI involvement in fraudulent admissions, assaults on academicians and students, disruption of university activities, and incidents of ragging and violence. ABVP reiterates its commitment to opposing leftist extremism and violence and vows to continue staunchly opposing it.
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