Police detain EFLU student leaders ahead of RSS leader’s talk on campus
Hyderabad: Several student leaders from the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU) were detained by Osmania University police on Wednesday as they gathered to protest a talk by Telangana Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Lingam Sridhar scheduled on the university campus.
Protest over campus event featuring RSS leader
The demonstration was organised ahead of Sridhar’s address, which was held under the banner of the Bhagath Singh Youth Club. Student organisations said the event effectively provided a platform for an RSS leader inside a public university and questioned how the programme received permission from the administration.
Student representatives argued that the university had previously denied requests for events featuring academicians, human rights activists and student leaders, but had allowed the RSS-linked programme to proceed. They demanded a clear explanation from the administration regarding the approval process and criteria for campus events.
Detentions and student leaders named
According to students, those detained included EFLU Students’ Union president Harshad Shibin of the independent student organisation Fraternity Movement; general secretary Irfan Shajudheen of the Muslim Students Federation; joint secretary Haleemathu Sa’adiya; sports secretary Udita of the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI); and councillors Suaadha Sudheer and Ashmit.
Other student leaders associated with the protest included Noura Hanan, Maryam Nasiha, Yasir, Rasal, and Sreeja of the Disha Student Organisation, students said. The detentions took place prior to the planned on-campus demonstration against the event featuring Sridhar.
Students question permissions and allege bias
In a statement, student organisations accused the university administration of applying a double standard in granting event permissions. “While the administration continues to deny permission for hosting renowned academicians, human rights activists and student leaders, they readily facilitate RSS leaders whose aim is the saffronisation of education,” the statement read.
The groups called on the administration to clarify the grounds on which the Bhagath Singh Youth Club event was approved and to make transparent the procedures for authorising talks and seminars, particularly those involving politically affiliated speakers.
Reactions from student groups
The Fraternity Movement condemned the detentions, asserting that students had been taken into custody ahead of a peaceful protest. The organisation said the response to the planned demonstration was disproportionate and undermined students’ rights to dissent on campus.
What is known so far
The talk by Lingam Sridhar went ahead under the Bhagath Singh Youth Club banner, according to students. Details of the police action beyond the initial detentions, including whether any charges were filed or when the detained students were released, were not immediately available from student accounts.
Significance
The detentions have intensified a long-running debate on university campuses over who is allowed a platform and under what conditions. At EFLU, student organisations said the incident reflects broader concerns about the curtailing of academic and political expression, even as events perceived as aligned with certain ideological groups receive official sanction. The students have sought an official explanation from the administration on event permissions and a review of policies governing campus talks.
Published: September 30, 2026
