Wardha Hindi University Takes Action Against Dalit, Backward Students Over Slogans 'Against Great Men'
Ankit Raj
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New Delhi: The Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University in Wardha is embroiled in a new controversy. Ten students, all belonging to Dalit or backward-caste communities, have been suspended from the hostel for allegedly raising “offensive” slogans directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.
The university claims that these slogans “desecrated the honour of esteemed individuals”.
The incident occurred after the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) suffered defeat and the 'Left Unity' alliance emerged victorious in the JNU student union elections held in Delhi on November 6. Following this, some students from Wardha University reportedly protested on campus, chanting slogans such as “Sorry, sorry Savarkar”, and “Run, Narendra”.
A report on the incident published in the RSS mouthpiece, Tarun Bharat (left) and ABVP members demonstrating inside the university campus (right).
Chandan Saroj, a PhD student at the university affiliated with the All India Students Federation (AISF), said, “The slogan ‘Sorry, sorry Savarkar' proved unbearable for the ABVP, which adheres to Savarkar’s ideologies.”
The following day, students affiliated with the ABVP surrounded the university’s administrative building, alleging that a “great man” like Savarkar had been insulted.
Also read: How Did Savarkar, a Staunch Supporter of British Colonialism, Come to Be Known as 'Veer'?
On November 7, the administration issued show-cause notices to six students: Kaushal Kumar, Karanveer Singh, Brijesh Sonkar, Rakesh Ahirwar, Ashwini Sonkar and Dhananjay Singh. Among these students, four belong to the Scheduled Caste (SC) category and two to the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
The notice reads, “It has come to the notice of the university administration that on the night of November 6, 2025, you gathered students in the university hostel premises without authorisation and without notifying the administration, took out a procession, and shouted slogans, some of which were disrespectful to the dignity of esteemed individuals. Your actions have disrupted the academic and peaceful atmosphere of the university and have fostered an environment of unnecessary tension on campus.”
The notice sent to the students.
The notice sought an explanation from these students within three days.
Speaking to The Wire Hindi, Dhananjay, a member of the Congress student organisation NSUI, said, “We did not take out any procession. We were merely out for a stroll. There must have been ten to fifteen of us. That’s when we raised slogans like 'Inquilab Zindabad', 'Bhagat Singh Zindabad' and 'Jai Bhim'.”
In response to the notice, the students addressed a letter to the Proctor on November 10, asserting, “Regarding the points you mentioned, we wish to clarify that we neither insulted any great man, nor did we raise any derogatory slogans, nor did we convene any gathering. The term ‘gathering’ is incorrect as we were simply a handful of fellows taking a walk.”
However, the university administration was not content with this reply, and on November 11, these six students, along with four others (Dharmendra Kumar, Manish Chaudhary, Satyendra Rai, and Abhijeet Kumar), were handed a 14-day suspension from their hostel. All ten students are from Dalit and backward communities.
Response to the show-cause notice from Dhananjay Singh.
The directive issued by university proctor Rakesh Kumar Mishra stated, “These students are entirely barred from entering the hostel premises throughout their suspension period.”
Prior to this directive, the university administration had lodged a non-cognizable report (NCR) against six students at the Ramnagar police station on November 10 and sought police intervention.
The police are required to secure court approval before arresting anyone based on a non-cognisable report.
The report indicates that on November 6, the university’s Board of Proctors convened and examined CCTV footage. The report states, "In the video, some students were heard raising slogans like ‘Sorry-Sorry Savarkar, RSS’s little monkey, run Narendra-run Narendra’.”
The university notified the police that the students had insulted “esteemed individuals” by raising slogans against them, thus tarnishing their reputation. However, the suspended students told The Wire Hindi that they did not chant “Bhaag Narendra, Bhaag Narendra” but rather “Bal Narendra, Bal Narendra”.
An NCR or non-cognisable report has been filed with the police against the students. The police must seek court permission before it arrests them.
In order to obtain the ABVP’s version of events, The Wire Hindi reached out to their 'university unit minister', Vedika Mishra. However, she declined comment.
Speaking to The Wire Hindi, university registrar Qader Nawaz Khan said, “We were forced to involve the police as a result of the students’ actions. Look at the nature of the slogans being raised. Secondly, by chanting slogans until midnight, they disrupted the hostel environment. They did not obtain permission to rake out such a rally. Their actions are aimed at disturbing the atmosphere here. This action has been taken to put an end to it.”
When questioned if the slogan “Sorry, sorry, Savarkar” justified such a response, the registrar answered, “You must be aware of the slogan that followed.”
When asked if the university administration takes issue with the slogan “Bhaag, Narendra, Bhaag, Narendra”, the registrar replied, “It is not a question of liking or disliking it. It concerns the spoiling of the university’s academic environment.”
Nine of the ten suspended students.
Chandan Saroj remarked, “The university has developed a repressive climate where only the slogan ‘Jai Shri Ram’ is accepted. If a student chants ‘Jai Bhim’, ‘Lal Salaam’, or ‘Jai Samvidhan’, they quickly become targets of the administration.”
He also said, “The RSS conducts regular shakhas on the Wardha University campus.”
The registrar asserted, “No student organisation, irrespective of its ideology, is permitted to hold rallies, processions, etc., without prior approval of the university.”
University Registrar Qader Nawaz Khan. Photo: hindivishwa.org.
When asked if the RSS conducts shakhas at this university, the registrar replied, “I will need to verify this – I will have to review the records.” When asked if the university administration was unaware of the RSS shakhas occurring on campus, the registrar replied, “I am not asserting that... I am not confirming whether the administration is aware or not. I will need to check the records.”
Students said that the university is located near Nagpur, where the Sangh parivar’s ideology holds sway. Consequently, they said, numerous students are under pressure and facing action.
Translated from Hindi by Naushin Rehman.
This article went live on November fourteenth, two thousand twenty five, at fifty-six minutes past four in the afternoon.The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.