Mob that assaulted journalist Ruchi Tiwari for being a Brahmin at Delhi University included participants of pro-Naxal protests and Hidma sympathisers: What we know so far

In the North Campus of the Delhi University, a pro-UGC protest took a disturbing turn on 13th February. A journalist, Ruchi Tiwari, associated with the YouTube channel ‘Breaking Opinion’, was mercilessly assaulted by the caste activists, including Leftist elements. The incident took place at the Arts Faculty when the Brahmin woman had gone to cover the protests by SC-ST-OBC activists. On 13th February, a protest was organised by left-wing student groups like the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), and the newly formed All India Forum for Equity. The protestors demanded the implementation of the University Grants Commission (2026) “Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions” regulations stayed by the Supreme Court. The caste discrimination-related guidelines have caused significant outrage over the 2026 regulation, which ruled out the general castes as victims of caste-based violence by restricting the category of victims to SCs, STs, and OBCs. Amidst the tensions among student groups in the Delhi University, YouTuber Ruchi Tiwari had arrived on campus to cover the pro-UGC protests. However, she was soon surrounded and cornered by a pro-UGC mob comprising 50-100 men and women. It has been alleged that upon learning her surname “Tiwari”, a common Brahmin identifier, several among the mob shouted phrases like “Yeh Brahmin hai, isko pakdo” (She is a Brahmin, catch her). A man can be heard saying in a video, “mar isko pata chalega” (beat her she will learn a lesson). Another voice was saying repeatedly ‘Koi bol na dena yahan pe, kaat ke phenk denge” (Don’t say a word yere, else would cut and through you). Someone said the protests were peaceful when she appeared. Several videos capturing the horror have emerged on social media, which show Ruchi Tiwari being surrounded, grabbed, beaten, and nearly disrobed by a large group of men and women. Ruchi Tiwari recounts how the pro-UGC mob hounded her for being a Brahmin In a video, Ruchi Tiwari narrated the incident, stating that while she was speaking with a reporter at the protest site, a large group of men and women suddenly confronted her. The caste activists claimed that she was the same woman who was present at Jantar Mantar yesterday, and proceeded to assault her. #WATCH | Delhi: Ruchi Tiwari, the woman journalist who was seen being attacked during a pro-UGC protest at Delhi University yesterday, says, "…Video is everywhere, people can judge by themselves as to who provoked whom…I am a journalist, who was there to cover the protest.… pic.twitter.com/t5pT3PtNP2— ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2026 “They held my hands, held my neck, pulled my hair, and tried to strangle me,” Tiwari said. She added that when her coworkers tried to intervene, the mob of men and women assaulted them too, and falsely accused them of touching the women protestors inappropriately. After Ruchi Tiwari escaped from the attackers and went to the road searching for her friends, she was again surrounded and assaulted. She said that there was a large group of 100-150 protestors, and many of them, including several women, assaulted her, tore her clothes, while others were making videos. “They attacked me only because I am a Brahmin”, Tiwari stated. She added that the mob said, ‘She is Brahmin, catch her, tear her clothes, undress her.’ Ruchi Tiwari asked whether it is feminism where no single person came forward to protect her when she was being assaulted. She added that while attempts were being made to tear her clothes and undress her, several men in the mob were making videos. ABVP comes out in Ruchi Tiwari’s support Amidst the outrage over a female journalist getting mobbed and harassed for her Brahmin caste, the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has extended support to Ruchi Tiwari. ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma condemned the attack by leftist student groups. “I would like to make a few things clear. The Left was protesting and a woman journalist, with a YouTube channel, was present there. She was covering the protest during which she asked them a few questions. Perhaps they didn’t like those questions, or they didn’t like the woman journalist, and they indulged in a flight…The videos show that even their male cadre was slapping her, that the crowd was gathering around her, and they were dragging her away. They have been exposed that how they misbehave with women. I have not met with the journalist so far, but I have come to know that she has filed a Police complaint. SFI, AISA and other Left student organisations have lost their relevance…So, they want to stay in the news by making false accusations. But the students of DU are intelligent enough…” Sharma told ANI. #WATCH | A woman journalist was seen being attacked during a pro-UGC protest in Delhi University yesterday. ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma says, "I would like to make a few things clear. The Left was protesting and

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Mob that assaulted journalist Ruchi Tiwari for being a Brahmin at Delhi University included participants of pro-Naxal protests and Hidma sympathisers: What we know so far

In the North Campus of the Delhi University, a pro-UGC protest took a disturbing turn on 13th February. A journalist, Ruchi Tiwari, associated with the YouTube channel ‘Breaking Opinion’, was mercilessly assaulted by the caste activists, including Leftist elements. The incident took place at the Arts Faculty when the Brahmin woman had gone to cover the protests by SC-ST-OBC activists.

On 13th February, a protest was organised by left-wing student groups like the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), All India Students’ Association (AISA), and the newly formed All India Forum for Equity. The protestors demanded the implementation of the University Grants Commission (2026) “Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions” regulations stayed by the Supreme Court. The caste discrimination-related guidelines have caused significant outrage over the 2026 regulation, which ruled out the general castes as victims of caste-based violence by restricting the category of victims to SCs, STs, and OBCs.

Amidst the tensions among student groups in the Delhi University, YouTuber Ruchi Tiwari had arrived on campus to cover the pro-UGC protests. However, she was soon surrounded and cornered by a pro-UGC mob comprising 50-100 men and women. It has been alleged that upon learning her surname “Tiwari”, a common Brahmin identifier, several among the mob shouted phrases like “Yeh Brahmin hai, isko pakdo” (She is a Brahmin, catch her). A man can be heard saying in a video, “mar isko pata chalega” (beat her she will learn a lesson). Another voice was saying repeatedly ‘Koi bol na dena yahan pe, kaat ke phenk denge” (Don’t say a word yere, else would cut and through you). Someone said the protests were peaceful when she appeared.

Several videos capturing the horror have emerged on social media, which show Ruchi Tiwari being surrounded, grabbed, beaten, and nearly disrobed by a large group of men and women.

Ruchi Tiwari recounts how the pro-UGC mob hounded her for being a Brahmin

In a video, Ruchi Tiwari narrated the incident, stating that while she was speaking with a reporter at the protest site, a large group of men and women suddenly confronted her. The caste activists claimed that she was the same woman who was present at Jantar Mantar yesterday, and proceeded to assault her.

“They held my hands, held my neck, pulled my hair, and tried to strangle me,” Tiwari said. She added that when her coworkers tried to intervene, the mob of men and women assaulted them too, and falsely accused them of touching the women protestors inappropriately.

After Ruchi Tiwari escaped from the attackers and went to the road searching for her friends, she was again surrounded and assaulted. She said that there was a large group of 100-150 protestors, and many of them, including several women, assaulted her, tore her clothes, while others were making videos.

“They attacked me only because I am a Brahmin”, Tiwari stated. She added that the mob said, ‘She is Brahmin, catch her, tear her clothes, undress her.’ Ruchi Tiwari asked whether it is feminism where no single person came forward to protect her when she was being assaulted. She added that while attempts were being made to tear her clothes and undress her, several men in the mob were making videos.

ABVP comes out in Ruchi Tiwari’s support

Amidst the outrage over a female journalist getting mobbed and harassed for her Brahmin caste, the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has extended support to Ruchi Tiwari. ABVP Delhi State Secretary Sarthak Sharma condemned the attack by leftist student groups.

“I would like to make a few things clear. The Left was protesting and a woman journalist, with a YouTube channel, was present there. She was covering the protest during which she asked them a few questions. Perhaps they didn’t like those questions, or they didn’t like the woman journalist, and they indulged in a flight…The videos show that even their male cadre was slapping her, that the crowd was gathering around her, and they were dragging her away. They have been exposed that how they misbehave with women. I have not met with the journalist so far, but I have come to know that she has filed a Police complaint. SFI, AISA and other Left student organisations have lost their relevance…So, they want to stay in the news by making false accusations. But the students of DU are intelligent enough…” Sharma told ANI.

Left- and right-wing student groups clash, and both parties file police complaints

Clashes erupted between leftist and right-wing student organisations on Friday after several YouTubers, including Ruchi Tiwari, were allegedly assaulted by the protestors. The tensions escalated at around 1 pm, as pro-UGC leftist protestors clashed with right-wing students who arrived at the spot after hearing of the disturbance.

While the right-wing student groups stated that journalist Ruchi Tiwari was assaulted, molested and subjected to caste-based insults by the left student group members, the latter denied the allegation, claiming that no caste-related questions were asked. 

Moreover, AISA has claimed that its DU Secretary and student, Anjali, was assaulted by YouTuber Ruchi Shandilya and some ABVP workers.

“AISU DU Secretary and student, Anjali, was assaulted by a YouTuber named Ruchi Shandilya, and the ABVP workers attacked the students while they were protesting at the Arts Faculty, DU, demanding the UGC Regulations to eliminate caste discrimination from campuses in India …AISA activists had gone to register an FIR against the attackers. As they did so, more than 50 ABVP members surrounded the police station, broke windows and chanted slogans against these students… ” AISA claimed.

Meanwhile, both parties have filed complaints against each other at the Maurice Nagar Police Station. The police have confirmed that they have received complaints from both the clashing parties, adding that an investigation into the allegations made by both complainants is underway.

All India Forum for Equity: The outfit behind pro-UGC protests

The pro-UGC regulations protest was organised by “All India Forum for Equity”, this outfit was formed on 8th February 2026, for what they describe as “UGC Regulations Samta Andolan”. The Forum was launched at Delhi’s HKS Surjeet Bhavan, in attendance of representatives from various leftist student organisations, including the SFI.

Among the constituent members of this forum are Urban Naxals like Dr Jitendra Meena, Dr Laxman Yadav, Mahesh Chaudhary, Bhanwar Meghvanshi, JNUSU, AISA, SFI, NSUI, AISF, MSF, RYA, DSF, ASA, AIOBCSA, CRJD, Collective India, BAPSA, Samajik Nyay Andolan Bihar, Rihaai Manch, Social Justice Army, FTII Students Union President, OBC Arakshan Sangharh Samiti, JAYS, BPVM, Gondwana Student Union and others.

Women who grabbed Ruchi Tiwari as seen in the video also participated in pro-naxal protests in November 2025

Ironically, the so-called ‘equity’ protests devolved into anti-Brahmin violence; however, given the involvement of those glorifying Naxalite terrorists in the assault, such violence is not entirely surprising.

As seen in the viral videos of the Friday incident, among the girls who surrounded and grabbed Ruchi Tiwari was Gurkirat Kaur, the president of the radical left student group Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM).

Previously, Gurkirat had openly glorified the Radical Students’ Union (RSU), a banned student outfit, through which Maoists used to recruit terrorists who were then deployed to fight against the Indian Armed Forces. In fact, Basavaraju, the top Maoist leader and General Secretary of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), was also an RSU product.

“RSU has given so many revolutionaries to the movement, the State still shakes with fear, even with the name of RSU, even with the thought of students again coming together and bringing that revolutionary politics,” she said.

In addition to the videos, several eyewitness accounts place Gurkirat prominently in the protesting mob, alongside Neha, who holds the post of ‘president’ in AISA.

Another one was Anjali from AISA, who recently lost the presidential election.

In the videos, a girl was allegedly seen pulling Ruchi Tiwari’s hair. She has reportedly been identified as Tanvi, a Master’s student from DU.

Notably, all these girls have also participated in the pro-Naxal protests in November 2025 under the pretext of anti-pollution agitation. The demonstration, involving mostly Delhi University students linked to Leftist groups like Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (BSCEM) and so-called environmental collective ‘Himkhand’, escalated when participants started raising slogans hailing slain Maoist commander Madvi Hidma and used chilli and pepper spray on police, injuring several personnel.

The radical leftist participants of this protest had raised “Comrade Hidma Amar Rahe” and “Har Ghar Se Hidma Niklega” slogans.  When the police tried to intervene, the protesters not only attacked police personnel but also used pepper spray on them, causing injuries to the eyes and face.

As a result, two FIRs were registered against 22 protesters, of whom 16 were arrested. Fifteen were sent to judicial remand by Patiala House Court on Monday, while one was sent to a juvenile safe house after claiming to be a minor. Furthermore, Section 197 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was added to the FIRs, which deals with acts, statements or communications that threaten India’s sovereignty, unity, integrity or security.

In December 2025, a Delhi court granted bail to Gurkirat Kaur, Ravjot Kaur, Kranti alias Priyanshu, Aiyashah Wafiya, Abhinash Satapathy and Ilakliya. After getting bail in the pro-Naxal protests case, bsCEM’s Gurkirat has now participated in pro-UGC protests and allegedly joined the leftist that harassed Ruchi Tiwari.

Notably, in 2024, bsCEM vandalised the walls of DU with graffiti prior to the Lok Sabha elections, telling people to abstain from the polls. The bsCEM members proclaimed, “Ek hi raasta Naxalbari” (the only way is Naxalbari), the place which sparked the inception of red terror in India. In addition, the radical left outfit has also been peddling anti-Brahmin hatred.

Days after Disha Wadekar, lawyer representing petitioners in UGC case said caste discrimination/harassment against ‘upper castes’ can never happen, pro-UGC mob proves her wrong

Earlier this month, Disha Wadekar, the lawyer representing petitioners in the UGC case, said in several interviews that if caste-based discrimination guidelines are made caste-neutral, then “What is the point of that provision of discrimination?”

“Now everyone is pointing out that there is a separate definition of caste discrimination. Section 3(C) defines caste discrimination as caste-based discrimination, based on caste or race against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBCs. The caste-based discrimination definition that everyone has a problem with, who should it include? If that should be a caste-neutral definition is what the question is, then are you saying that alongside SC, ST, and OBCs, caste-based discrimination definition should also include other categories, and it should be caste neutral, then what is the point of that provision of discrimination then? Then there is no discrimination, right? That actually means that there is no discrimination,” she told The Telegraph India.

In another interview, Wadekar claimed that she does not suggest that upper-caste students do not experience harassment or victimisation at all, but cases are “typically individual-specific and not rooted in ascriptive group identity.”

This came even as there have been incidents of on-campus anti-Brahmin and Baniya sloganeering, painting of college walls with genocidal slogans like “Brahmin-Baniyas, we are coming for you. We will avenge”, “Go back to Shakha”, “Brahmins Leave the Campus”, “Brahmin Bharat Chhodo”, “Now there will be blood” as well as incidents of the forced cutting of Janeu of Brahmin students, etc.

While these incidents are enough to prove that Wadekar’s contention was divorced from reality, the alleged harassment and assault against Ruchi Tiwari by a radical leftist student mob due to her Brahmin caste prove her wrong, again.

The irony is undeniable. Disha Wadekar, along with advocates Prasanna S. and Indira Jaising, drafted the 10 suggestions to be included in the UGC Bill, including the caste discrimination-related point. Wadekar’s whole argument behind excluding upper castes or general category caste groups from caste discrimination definition is rooted in the belief that Brahmins, Thakurs or other GCs can never face discrimination based on their caste, Ruchi Tiwari’s alleged caste-driven harassment contradicts this framing.

Tiwari’s harassment was based on her ascriptive Brahmin identity; it was not an ‘individual-specific’ case. Contrary to the assertion of Wadekar, the Ruchi Tiwari incident proves that upper castes can and do face targeted, group-based caste hostility and violence, not only in campus settings but also otherwise as well. The possibility of the occurrence of such incidents surges when leftist mobs and self-proclaimed ‘equity’ champions feel emboldened to unleash casteist slurs and violence against general category individuals and then conveniently deny it, saying that ‘upper caste’ folks can never face caste-based harassment.

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