DUSU removes busts of Savarkar, Bose, Bhagat Singh

The Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) has removed the busts of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and Subhas Chandra Bose from the university campus after a backlash from the Congress students wing NSUI.

The busts were installed outside the Arts Faculty gate in the North campus, without permission from the university administration, by former DUSU President Shakti Singh on his last day in office on Tuesday.

Late on Friday, when the busts were removed, ABVP -- the RSS student wing -- said in a statement: "The act of insulting the idols of Bhagat Singh, Savarkar and Subhas Chandra Bose by the NSUI has exposed the distorted mindset of the Congress."

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) said the university administration had assured it that the busts of the freedom fighters will be re-installed after the DUSU elections, in accordance with the procedure required.

Singh earlier said they had approached the university administration several times for permission to install the busts, but there was no response. "I know the process of installing the statue might be debatable, but we, at the ABVP, follow nationalism and Savarkar was one of the greatest freedom fighters."

On Wednesday, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) members had put a garland of shoes around Savarkar's bust and tarred its face.

The NSUI on Thursday justified its act calling Savarkar a "traitor" and accused the ABVP of trying to 'saffronise' the Delhi University.