27/02/2026
*No Place for Communal Division on Campus, Young Democrats Condemn RSS Involvement, Clashes and targeting of Minority Voices at Andhra University. Universities must remain a beacon of knowledge, secularism and unity, not a battleground for communal agendas.*
Young Democrats strongly condemn the recent involvement of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliated activities on the campus of Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, which have directly contributed to disrupting the peaceful academic environment and longstanding harmony among students in Andhra University.
On February 17, 2026, an RSS 'shakha' was organized on university premises at the basketball court near the Law College, reportedly involving outsiders and non-academic ideological propagation. Opposing students groups and students organizations alleged that these activities violated university rules by introducing religious centered programs and attempting to incite communal tensions among a diverse student body. When students resisted what they perceived as divisive and fanatical efforts to spread religious hatred, confrontations escalated into clashes, physical altercations, injuries requiring hospital treatment and prolonged protests lasting multiple days till now.
This incident created an atmosphere of fear, intimidation and division on campus, especially amid approaching examinations and the need for focused studies. Students who stood against these activities reportedly faced attacks, threats and aggressive responses, including attempts by ABVP activists to force entry into administrative offices while raising provocative slogans. Such actions have not only disturbed normal academic functioning but also fostered an environment where minority and dissenting voices feel targeted and unsafe.
Educational institutions like Andhra University must remain strictly secular, inclusive spaces dedicated to intellectual growth, critical thinking and mutual respect among students from all castes, religions, regions and backgrounds, particularly in a diverse state like Andhra Pradesh. The entry of RSS-affiliated programs widely viewed by many as promoting majoritarian ideological agendas that marginalize minorities and sow communal discord, has no legitimate place in university grounds. Universities are not venues for political or communal organizations to conduct shakhas, rallies or activities that risk polarizing students along religious lines or inviting external interference.
Young Democrats stand in solidarity with the students, many from minority communities and progressive groups who have bravely opposed these intrusions, often at personal risk, to protect the campus from communal polarization, religious fanaticism and the erosion of secular values. Their struggles highlight the discrimination and suppression faced by those resisting majoritarian imposition. We demand an immediate and permanent ban on all RSS, ABVP-led or ideologically driven shakhas, programs and activities within Andhra University campus to prevent further communal disturbances and ensure safety for all students.
We, Young Democrats call upon the Vice-Chancellor, university administration, Andhra Pradesh government and all stakeholders to act decisively and urgently. Andhra University must remain a beacon of knowledge, secularism and unity, not a battleground for communal agendas.
Mohammed Tahir Shaik,
National Joint Convenor,
Young Democrats
