NEW DELHI: Several students of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, have alleged they were locked up inside the campus for over an hour and prevented from leaving, forcing them to attend a programme by the administration on the Centre’s flagship ‘Viksit Bharat’ initiative on April 8. They alleged that while the event was on at the college auditorium, security personnel shut the main gate, redirecting those trying to leave to the event venue.The programme was organised by the department of political science. The incident took placearound noon. Posters on campus show the programme was an international conference on ‘Viksit Bharat @2047 and World Order’, with dignitaries from outside invited.Videos circulating online show students gathered at the gate, arguing withguards. Some of them are heard saying they had “family emergencies” and needed to leave, while a guard is heard replying that the gate was locked on the “instructions of the principal” and that students had to join the event in the auditorium. In the clip, one is heard telling the guard that her parentswere calling her up and asking why she was unable to leave. The students alleged that the gates were opened only after a large group assembled at the entrance andraised objections. According to them, multiple events were scheduled on the campus that day, including a certificate course session on menstrual health and hygiene organised in collaboration with Unesco at a different venue. They claimed thatthey were being pushed to attend the programmes to ensure adequate turnout.They said that making attendance a prerequisite for such events is a common practice at the college. They alleged that they are often required to attend events and are marked present for their classes only at the venue.
