A confrontation broke out on February 13 at the North Campus of University of Delhi (DU) during a student protest against new guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The clash, involving a YouTuber and protesting students, escalated after a remark about “water” went viral on social media, drawing connections to a significant chapter in Dalit history.
According to reports, students affiliated with various organisations and those aligned with Bahujan ideology had gathered on campus to oppose the proposed UGC regulations. During the demonstration, YouTuber Ruchi Tiwari arrived at the venue and began questioning the protesters.
In a video that has since circulated widely online, she is heard saying to the students: “What happened, didn’t you get water? For 5,000 years you didn’t get water…”. The comment triggered immediate objections from those present, and the exchange quickly turned heated.
Student groups have alleged that the “water” remark amounted to mocking the historic 1927 Mahad Satyagraha led by B. R. Ambedkar. The movement sought to secure the right of Dalits to draw water from public tanks, marking a landmark struggle against caste-based discrimination.
Protesting students described the comment as insensitive and provocative, particularly in light of the historical social struggle it referenced.
Videos from the scene show moments of jostling and chaos amid the crowd. Student organisations claimed that a female protester was pushed to the ground during the scuffle. Tiwari, however, alleged that she was surrounded, threatened, and subjected to abuse.
In a statement to news agency Asian News International (ANI), Tiwari claimed she received death and sexual violence threats. She described the incident as an “attempted mob lynching” and alleged that she was targeted because of her caste.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) issued a statement supporting the YouTuber and condemning the incident. Meanwhile, several social activists, including fact-checker Mohammed Zubair, shared the video online, alleging that the questions posed were deliberately provocative.
Following the incident, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Yogesh Singh appealed for calm. He noted that matters related to the UGC guidelines are currently under judicial consideration and urged all sides to exercise restraint.
Police have registered an FIR and launched an investigation based on the viral footage. Additional security personnel have been deployed across the campus.
The incident has sparked intense debate on social media, with one section calling it an attack on freedom of expression, while others describe it as a calculated act of provocation. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have appealed for peace.
