# Clash at Kolkata film institute over Hindutva group event

2026-09-27T14:41:21+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 4 independent outlets

A scuffle broke out at Kolkata's Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) on September 27 between students and members of the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a group described as part of the RSS Parivar. Students alleged that ABGP members called them anti-nationals, Naxalites, and terrorists and physically attacked them when they protested the event. ABGP said it had rented the auditorium legally and that students attacked first, damaging a portrait of Swami Vivekananda. Four ABGP members were hospitalised. Police were deployed as students blocked the gates. Both sides gave sharply different accounts. The West Bengal Congress and Left leaders condemned the violence and demanded an investigation. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap reacted on social media, saying, 'This is what they stole the votes for in Bengal.' SRFTI said the situation was under control.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The pro-government framing, absent from these sources, would likely highlight ABGP's legal booking and the alleged damage to Vivekananda's portrait, while playing down student injuries. The critical framing, led by National Herald and Times Now, foregrounds student allegations of abuse and assault, with Kashyap's comment adding a political dimension. The balanced reading is that an outside group held an ideological event on a campus without student consultation, leading to violence. The next step is the promised independent investigation.

## Coverage

- indiatvnews.com (neutral report) <https://www.indiatvnews.com/west-bengal/news-called-us-naxalites-scuffle-at-kolkata-s-srfti-over-a-programme-by-hindutva-group-2026-09-27-1055430>
  Reports both sides' allegations without editorializing, includes unrelated LPU story.
- indiatoday.in (neutral report) <https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/srfti-clash-kolkata-students-abgp-campus-violence-ptag-3004264-2026-09-27?utm_source=rss>
  Straight news agency style, reports both sides and notes allegations unverified.
- nationalheraldindia.com (government critical) <https://www.nationalheraldindia.com/national/kolkata-srfti-students-claim-attack-by-outsiders-from-rss-affiliate-at-least-4-hurt>
  Leads with students' claims and frames event as RSS Parivar intrusion, includes opposition criticism.
- timesnownews.com (sensationalist) <https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/bollywood/anurag-kashyap-reacts-to-srfti-violence-in-kolkata-what-they-stole-the-votes-for-in-bengal-article-156235731>
  Leads with Anurag Kashyap's political reaction, drama-first framing.

Tags: Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat, Kolkata, SRFTI, West Bengal
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