3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Feb 12, 2026 10:22 PM IST
A video circulating on social media on Wednesday shows a bucket filled with water being thrown at historian S Irfan Habib while he was speaking near Gate 4 of the Arts Faculty at Delhi University during a literature festival organised by students.
The incident occurred at ‘People’s Literature Festival: Samta Utsav’, organised by the All India Students’ Association (AISA). While AISA alleged that Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members attempted to disrupt the event, ABVP denied the charge.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Habib said he was standing just outside the boundary wall near Gate 4 when the bucket was thrown from across the wall. “The bucket did not hit me, but the water fell on me. I was overwhelmed for a few minutes — the bucket could have had anything, even stones,” he said.
Calling the incident unprecedented, Habib added, “I have been to DU several times and spoken here, and this is the first time that something like this has happened to me. The past two years… things have changed drastically.”
In a statement, AISA described the incident as a “planned and violent attempt” to sabotage the festival, which it said was organised as an inclusive alternative to the DU-sanctioned literature festival. “Despite a planned and violent attempt by the ABVP members to sabotage the event, the festival concluded as a massive success,” it said, adding that the event focused on discussions around caste, equality and the demand for implementation of the UGC Equity Regulations 2026 under the Rohith Act.
The ABVP, meanwhile, termed the charges “baseless and false” and accused Left-wing student organisations of spreading “misleading and distorted narratives” on campus. The ABVP said AISA was “disturbed by the growing popularity” of the organisation among DU students.
The DU administration said it has not received any formal complaint. “We have not received any complaints of any attacks or mischief on campus,” said Joint Proctor Manoj Singh.
The event had opened with a session on ‘Caste in Society and University’, addressed by Habib, who spoke on what AISA described as “attempts to rewrite history and marginalise discussions on caste within higher education”.
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Condemning the attack, CPI General Secretary D Raja said, “This is not disagreement or debate, this is cowardly intimidation. Ideas must be fought with ideas, not with violence, threats or hooliganism. Such acts expose the deep insecurity of right-wing forces who fear free thinking and open discussion.”
“Because of their narrow and intolerant ideology, university spaces across the country are being turned hostile and inward-looking, where questioning and critical thought are attacked. There is no place for violence or intimidation in academic and public life,” he added.
