CLASH ERUPTS AT SRFTI OVER CAMPUS EVENT AS KOLKATA’S UNIVERSITY TENSIONS SPREAD

September 27, 2026

A clash broke out at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata on Sunday following a dispute over a campus programme organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, an RSS-linked organisation. The programme had reportedly received permission from the institute authorities.

According to reports, tensions began after a group of SRFTI students allegedly entered the venue and removed flags displayed by the organisers. An altercation followed and subsequently escalated into physical clashes between the groups. Police personnel, including a senior team led by a Deputy Commissioner of Police, were deployed to the campus after receiving information about the disturbance.

The situation remained tense after students reportedly blocked the campus gates and stopped a bus, alleging that RSS members were travelling in it. Stones and water bottles were also reportedly thrown from outside the gate. At least four people were reported injured in the clashes, while additional police forces were deployed to prevent further escalation.

The incident comes weeks after clashes between ABVP and Left-leaning student groups at Jadavpur University had led to protests and heightened tensions around the campus. The latest developments at SRFTI have added to concerns over clashes between competing student and political groups at educational institutions in K