Archive · 28 Sep 2026
Kolkata Film Institute Clash Erupts Over RSS-Linked Event
A consumer organisation called the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat held a programme at a Kolkata film institute.
The organisation said it had rented the hall and received permission.
Some students objected because they believed the programme was connected to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and did not belong on a non-political campus.
Students said they were not told about the event and that some speakers used insulting words.
The disagreement turned into a large fight involving students, organisers and people described as outsiders.
Students said they were hit with objects and that some were chased into the library.
ABGP said students started the violence, tore its posters and attacked its members.
Different reports gave different numbers and descriptions of the injuries.
Police arrived, detained at least one person according to one account and began investigating the incident.
A clash erupted at Kolkata’s Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute on September 27, 2026, during an Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat programme.
Students objected to the event, saying it was political, RSS-linked and held without informing the student community at the government-run institute.
Students alleged that ABGP members and outsiders assaulted protesters with fists, stones, bricks, sticks and possibly a knife, while ABGP said students attacked its members and tore down posters and banners.
Reports said at least 27 people were taken for treatment in one account, while other reports cited at least six injured students, four hospitalised ABGP members or no serious injuries.
Police led by Deputy Commissioner Arindam Sarkar deployed additional forces, detained at least one person according to one report and received a student complaint as political parties traded blame.
- Who
- Students and staff of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat and people described as outsiders were involved.
- What
- A physical clash broke out during and after an ABGP programme held at the institute.
- When
- Sunday, September 27, 2026; the programme was scheduled from noon to 4 p.m.
- Where
- The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute campus in Kolkata, including its main theatre or auditorium, library and gates.
- Why
- Students objected to what they viewed as a political, RSS-linked event and alleged provocative remarks, while ABGP said students disrupted its authorised programme and attacked its members.
Student and Supporter Accounts
ABGP and BJP Accounts
Reason for the protest
Student and Supporter Accounts
Students said they were not informed about the programme and objected to an RSS-linked political or religious event being held at a government educational institution. They also alleged that speakers used terms such as “anti-national,” “urban Naxals,” “terrorists” and “cockroaches.”
ABGP and BJP Accounts
ABGP said it had lawfully rented the hall, obtained permission and was conducting an annual consumer- and women-empowerment awareness programme rather than an improper political event.
Who started the violence
Student and Supporter Accounts
Students, staff and the students’ union alleged that ABGP members or outsiders confronted and assaulted protesters, including women, chased students into the library and harassed teachers and the librarian.
ABGP and BJP Accounts
ABGP representatives said students surrounded and assaulted their members, tore down posters, banners and images, disrupted the programme and caused the confrontation.
Injuries and police response
Student and Supporter Accounts
Students alleged attacks involving stones, bricks, sticks and a knife, and demanded action over an alleged stabbing. They also said people outside the gate threw objects at students while police were present.
ABGP and BJP Accounts
ABGP said four of its members were hospitalised. An SRFTI official said the situation was under control and that no serious injuries had been reported, while police deployed forces and investigated the complaint.
Political responsibility
Student and Supporter Accounts
Congress leaders and other critics blamed RSS-backed participants and said the violence reflected efforts to intimidate progressive voices and suppress independent thought.
ABGP and BJP Accounts
West Bengal BJP representatives blamed the Trinamool Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist). BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar called the protesting students “dimagi naxal,” while the ABVP rejected attempts to link it to the incident and sought an impartial inquiry.
- Organiser
- Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, described in the reports as affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
- Venue
- The Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute’s main theatre, auditorium or community hall
- Scheduled time
- 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on September 27, 2026
- Reported treatment
- One account said at least 27 people were taken for treatment, including 25 to Desun Hospital and two to KPC Medical Hospital
- ABGP account
- ABGP said it paid ₹15,000 to rent the hall and that four members were admitted to hospital
- Police response
- Police led by Deputy Commissioner Arindam Sarkar deployed additional forces; one report said at least one person was detained
- Injury discrepancy
- Reports ranged from at least six injured students and serious injuries to an SRFTI official’s statement that no serious injuries had been reported
Sources
Student groups clash at Kolkata’s Satyajit Ray Film Institute over campus event
‘No space for Hindutva’: Scuffle at Kolkata film institute over RSS-linked group’s event
After JU, clash erupts at SRFTI: BJP’s ‘Dimagi Naxal’ jibe sparks political firestorm after students protest RSS-linked event
Kolkata: Film institute students injured after objecting to event by RSS-affiliated group
Students, right-wing consumer group members clash at SRFTI campus over ‘provocative speeches’
Rowdy raj: After Jadavpur University, campus unrest reaches Kolkata's film and television institute over RSS-linked event
