Water Flung At Senior Historian Irfan Habib In DU Arts Faculty Ambush During Speech
Senior historian Irfan Habib was targeted with a water bucket during a speech at DU's Arts Faculty. The incident has triggered a campus face-off between AISA, which had organised the event at which Habib was speaking, and ABVP.
Senior historian S Irfan Habib was targeted during a Delhi University event on Thursday when some unidentified individuals flung a bucket of water at him. Habib was delivering a speech during the People's Literature Festival: Samta Utsav at the Arts Faculty when the incident happened. Videos circulating online show Habib speaking when a blue bucket filled with water is hurled at him from behind. The senior historian is momentarily taken aback by the sudden act, but after a brief pause, continues with his address.
The event was organised by Left-affiliated All India Students' Association (AISA) parallel to the university's official literature festival that opened the same day. Several academics were present at the gathering when the water was thrown.
Habib had been speaking for nearly 20 minutes before the disruption. Recalling the moment, he said, "I was invited to speak by the students. Some 200 students had gathered. I had just begun my address and spoken for about 20 minutes when suddenly water from a bucket was thrown from a wall behind me. For a few seconds I was unsettled, but then I continued. It is disturbing and shocking for me. Universities are places for diverse voices which should be respected."
Clips of the incident quickly circulated on social media, triggering a political blame game on campus.
AISA alleged that members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) were responsible for the act. The ABVP, however, denied any role, calling it "a deliberate attempt to malign the organisation". Its Delhi state secretary Sarthak Sharma called the allegations "completely baseless and false" and accused Left groups of "spreading misinformation".
AISA Event In Protest Against Official DU Event
AISA said it had organised the parallel festival in protest, calling the official event "a platform for regressive propaganda and communal rhetoric". Sessions at the alternative festival included discussions on "Caste in Society and University" and "Anti-Caste Poetry and Songs", along with a call for implementing the proposed UGC Equity Regulations, 2026.
During his speech, Habib spoke about what he called "attempts at historical erasure", and stated that universities must resist distorted interpretations of the past.
Source:
Senior historian Irfan Habib was targeted with a water bucket during a speech at DU's Arts Faculty. The incident has triggered a campus face-off between AISA, which had organised the event at which Habib was speaking, and ABVP., Delhi News, Times Now
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