‘Attack on right to dissent’: DU imposes month-long ban on protests, draws criticism

A sweeping one-month ban on protests and demonstrations across the campus of Delhi University has triggered sharp criticism from student groups, teachers’ bodies and academics, who describe the move as an assault on democratic freedoms in one of India’s premier universities.

The directive, issued on Tuesday by DU Proctor Manoj Kumar Singh, prohibits “public meetings, processions, demonstrations and protests of any kind” within the campus for a month.

The order states that it was prompted by intelligence inputs suggesting that unrestricted gatherings could obstruct traffic, endanger life and disturb public peace.

The ban follows clashes during a demonstration against the Supreme Court’s stay on the UGC’s Equity Regulations, 2026.

The protest on 13 February at North Campus turned violent after an influencer covering the event alleged assault. Student groups, however, accused her of provocation.

Videos of the scuffle were circulated widely on social media, amplifying the controversy, following which police registered FIR at Maurice Nagar police station.

Several DU teachers on condition of anonymity said that the university’s response is disproportionate and is punitive in nature.

“One incident took place and the entire right to voice dissent has been banned,” Abha Dev Habib, secretary of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, said.

Varun Chaudhary, president of the Congress-affiliated student body National Students' Union of India (NSUI), called the order reflective of a “suppressive mindset.”

“This is a direct attack on constitutional rights. Suppressing student voices will not weaken our resistance; it will only strengthen it,” he said. He further alleged that “RSS-appointed functionaries” within the university were insecure about dissenting voices, particularly those of marginalised students.

In contrast, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), affiliated to the RSS, refrained from directly commenting on the ban but said it remains committed to raising issues concerning students.

The Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) did not immediately respond to the order.

Beyond the immediate flashpoint, the episode raises broader concerns about shrinking spaces for dissent in public universities. DU, long regarded as a nursery of budding politicians, has managed ideological clashes through debate and discussion. However, critics say that the culture of debate and political engagement has declined in recent decades, particularly after the BJP came to power.

By opting for a blanket ban rather than calibrated restrictions, the DU administration has shown its intent - intolerance towards dissent. Universities are not merely sites of education they are laboratories of democratic practice. Curtailing protest rights, critics argue, may ensure temporary calm but at the cost of eroding a culture of debate that has defined the DU for decades.