Workers of the RSS-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) staged a protest outside the residence of Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) leader and Uttar Pradesh Minister Om Prakash Rajbhar in Ballia’s Rasda area on Thursday, September 4, 2025. The demonstration, marked by the burning of Rajbhar’s effigy and anti-minister slogans, was in response to his alleged remark labeling ABVP members as “goons” for their earlier protest at Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University in Barabanki. The ABVP demanded Rajbhar’s immediate removal from the Yogi Adityanath cabinet, escalating tensions in Uttar Pradesh’s political landscape.

The controversy traces back to Monday, when ABVP members protested at the Barabanki university over the alleged lack of affiliation for a law course. The agitation turned chaotic, with online footage showing baton-wielding police confronting demonstrators, resulting in injuries to several students and damage to a glass panel at the Gadia police outpost. ABVP activists claimed Rajbhar endorsed the police lathi-charge and insulted them by calling them “goons,” prompting their protests in Ballia and a similar demonstration outside Rajbhar’s Lucknow residence on Wednesday.

Rasda police station’s SHO, Yogendra Bahadur Singh, confirmed the Ballia protest lasted approximately 30 minutes, with no reported violence. However, the ABVP’s anger reflects growing frustration with Rajbhar’s remarks and the state’s handling of student grievances. Arvind Rajbhar, SBSP’s national chief general secretary and the minister’s son, defended his father, accusing the media of misquoting him. “The minister never used the word ‘goonda.’ He only emphasized that protests should be constitutional and democratic,” Arvind told PTI, shifting blame to the administration for the lathi-charge while acknowledging the students’ demands as genuine.

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The incident has spotlighted tensions between the ABVP, a prominent student organization aligned with the BJP’s ideological parent, the RSS, and Rajbhar, a key ally in the BJP-led coalition government. The protests underscore broader concerns about academic governance and police response to student activism in Uttar Pradesh. As the ABVP intensifies its campaign against Rajbhar, the Yogi Adityanath government faces pressure to address the controversy and balance coalition dynamics while responding to student grievances over educational issues.

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