“Mohan Bhagwat go back” slogans at Lucknow University, students detained
Student organisations staged protests at Lucknow University during the visit of Mohan Bhagwat, the chief of the Hindutva paramilitary organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, raising slogans such as “Mohan Bhagwat go back” and “RSS murdabad” on Wednesday, February 18.
Representatives and activists from the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI), Samajwadi Party Chhatra Sabha and Bhim Army gathered near the venue, alleging that the event reflected an attempt to impose a particular ideological framework within academic institutions.
Protesters said police stopped them at the entrance of the premises where the programme was being held.
NSUI member Ahmed Raza claimed that students were detained around 10:15 in the morning, first taken to the Eco Garden police station and later shifted to the Hasanganj police station before being released at 9 pm.
“The RSS has historically fostered a communal atmosphere in the country. Inviting a figure associated with such politics to a university raises serious questions about the message being sent to society,” Raza told Maktoob, adding that educational institutions must uphold integrity, secularism and constitutional values.
Student groups argued that universities are spaces for rational inquiry and democratic debate, and alleged that such visits risk deepening religious polarisation on campuses.
NSUI’s Shubham Kharwar told Maktoob, “The RSS, an organisation led by Bhagwat, has long stood in opposition to the spirit of pluralism represented by the national flag, and a person who contradicts the very idea of India should not be invited to universities.”
Samajwadi Party Chhatra Sabha leader Jeetu Kashyap said, “Ideologies such as the RSS that divide society along caste and religious lines should not find space in academic institutions.”
Bhim Army student leader Virat Shekhar criticised the use of university resources for hosting political figures, saying public funds should prioritise student welfare rather than programmes linked to divisive politics.
Shekhar said, “The university that is using educational spaces for such fascists should also be held accountable. They run on taxpayers’ money and should not be used as a ground for any ideological warfare.”
He added, “That too when it talks about destroying the integrity and diversity of a nation.”
The demonstrations unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing controversies related to University Grants Commission (UGC) policies, with student groups linking the protest to broader concerns over academic autonomy and ideological influence in higher education.
University authorities and police officials have not issued a detailed statement regarding the detentions.
