Pune Police have registered a case against around 50 to 60 Youth Congress workers following a clash with members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad at the College of Engineering Pune hostel campus. The incident took place on Friday, August 21, ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Chhatron Ki Goonj programme scheduled in Pune.
The confrontation involved members associated with the National Students Union of India and the ABVP at the COEP Technological University hostel campus. Following the incident, police personnel were deployed in significant numbers around the campus to prevent further escalation and maintain order.
According to police officials, the case was registered on the basis of a complaint filed by an ABVP member. The complaint named six individuals and referred to around 50 to 60 alleged NSUI and Youth Congress workers. The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Police Act.
The provisions cited in the case include those relating to voluntarily causing hurt, unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation. Police said the investigation into the incident is continuing.
The dispute reportedly began over allegations involving female students at the college hostel. ABVP members alleged that Congress workers were pressuring female students to register for the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme. They also alleged that one student was being pressured to record a video statement.
According to the complaint, ABVP members went to the hostel after learning about the allegations and attempted to inquire into the matter. The situation subsequently escalated into a confrontation, with the complainant alleging that Congress affiliated workers verbally abused and assaulted members of the student organisation. These allegations are part of the police complaint and remain subject to investigation.
Congress leaders have presented a different account of the incident. Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, who visited the hostel following the confrontation, alleged that ABVP workers had threatened two female students who had spoken in support of the Congress event.
Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress media department president Akshay Jain also described the incident as unfortunate. He said the two students had raised concerns relating to scholarship issues and had expressed support for the Chhatron Ki Goonj programme. Congress leaders have denied the allegations that their workers were forcing students to participate in the event.
The incident occurred shortly before Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled student interaction programme in Pune. The Chhatron Ki Goonj event was planned as an interaction focusing on issues faced by students and young women. Congress had invited students and women to participate in discussions about education, employment, safety and other concerns.
The political nature of the upcoming event added to the attention surrounding the confrontation at the hostel. ABVP members had protested against the programme and raised slogans outside the hostel, following which police intervened. Several people were detained during the initial confrontation, according to police officials.
Police subsequently increased security around the COEP campus. The additional deployment was intended to prevent further clashes between the two groups and ensure that the situation remained under control.
The incident has also generated a political exchange between Congress and ABVP representatives. Both sides have made allegations against each other, while the police investigation is expected to establish the sequence of events and determine the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.
The registration of an FIR does not by itself establish the guilt of the people named in the complaint. The allegations made by either side will have to be examined by the investigating authorities, and any criminal liability will ultimately be determined through the legal process.
The police case includes several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Authorities are examining the allegations of assault, unlawful assembly and intimidation as part of the investigation. Officials have not indicated that the investigation has been completed.
The clash highlights the continuing tensions that can arise when political and student organisations operate around university campuses. Educational institutions frequently become venues for debates involving student organisations, but authorities are responsible for ensuring that disagreements do not result in violence or disruption.
At the COEP campus, the immediate priority following the confrontation was maintaining security and preventing another clash. Police personnel remained present in the area as authorities monitored the situation.
The incident has attracted wider attention because it occurred just before a major political programme involving Rahul Gandhi. The allegations concerning female students have also become a central part of the dispute, with ABVP and Congress representatives offering conflicting accounts.
As the investigation continues, police are expected to examine complaints, statements and other available evidence to establish what happened at the hostel. Further action will depend on the findings of the investigation.
For now, the confirmed development is that Pune Police have registered a case against around 50 to 60 Youth Congress workers following the clash at the COEP hostel campus. Both sides have made allegations, and authorities have deployed additional personnel to maintain peace at the campus.