Eleven students were detained under preventive provisions after a violent confrontation broke out between activists of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), Summer Hill, on Saturday, leaving half a dozen students injured.

The incident occurred on Saturday morning after an argument between activists of the two organisations escalated into a physical confrontation. A video of the incident is also being circulated on social media platforms. It shows police personnel deployed at the university attempting to separate the activists.

Akshay Thakur, campus president, ABVP, alleged that SFI activists attacked ABVP workers who were present at the university gate to welcome new students. He alleged that several SFI activists reached the spot and assaulted ABVP workers with weapons, leaving around five ABVP activists injured.

SFI activists, however, rejected the allegations. They claimed that several ABVP activists had allegedly teased an SFI woman activist on Friday evening and that ABVP workers attacked SFI activists at the university with weapons.

According to police, members of the two student organisations gathered near Summer Hill Chowk following an earlier dispute, leading to a tense situation and clashes in which several students sustained minor injuries.

Acting on information about the incident, teams from Baluganj police station, Shimla police’s quick reaction team (QRT), and university security personnel rushed to the campus and brought the situation under control before it escalated further.

“Shimla police received information about a clash between two groups at the HPU. A team from Baluganj police station and the QRT reached the spot immediately. The police controlled the situation and prevented any untoward incident. 11 students drawn from both factions involved in the altercation have been arrested under preventive sections” said superintendent of police, Shimla, Gaurav Singh.