Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Hyderabad University Play Turns Violent as Rival Student Groups Trade Allegations

The dispute highlights a wider fight over academic expression on Indian campuses.

Overview

  • A theatre arts exam performance of the play Holi at the University of Hyderabad ended in a clash that injured students and shattered windows.
  • SFI said ABVP members tried to enter the hall and then threw bottles, stones, and sticks, while hostile slogans were allegedly shouted.
  • ABVP denied attacking and said objections over hurt Hindu sentiments were met with assaults on its activists, with some taken to hospital.
  • Student groups SFI and ASA announced a relay hunger strike to press for action as the university had not issued a detailed public statement.
  • The play Holi, written by Mahesh Elkunchwar and staged in India for decades, was presented as coursework, which supporters say underscores its academic legitimacy.