Tensions broke out on 27th September at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata, West Bengal, following a violent clash between the leftist student organisation, Student Federation of India (SFI), and the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), an organisation linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Days after the incident, SRFTI under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting submitted an internal report on 24th October, detailing how leftist goons indulged in anti-Hindu sloganeering and also attacked the institute’s vice-chancellor.
#WATCH | Kolkata, West Bengal: A clash broke out between members of the SFI and the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat during an event organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat at the SRFTI (Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute) auditorium. Heavy police deployment in the area. More details awaited
— ANI (@ANI) September 27, 2026
According to the claims made by the SFI attackers, members of the ABGP raised provocative slogans during their event. Conversely, members of the ABGP stated that individuals associated with the SFI forcibly disrupted their gathering, tore down official posters, and physically assaulted those in attendance.
The SRFTI Student Union, in a statement, later admitted that it was they who went to the auditorium to protest over the RSS-affiliated body organising a programme without their permission and created a ruckus. In a statement issued on 27th September evening, the SRFTI Student Union issued a statement, saying that they were not informed about permission being granted to the ABGP for conducting a programme at the Main Theatre auditorium.
The Student Union and the student body were not informed about the event before permission was granted. A similar event had also reportedly taken place on campus a few months ago without the knowledge of the students. At around 2:00 PM, students went to the Main Theatre to put up posters questioning the Institute’s decision to allow such an event without informing the student community. The ABGP members present at the venue confronted the students and attempted to remove them from the theatre. The situation then escalated into physical violence against students. Students were verbally abused, including being called "anti-national" and "cockroaches". Members of the group then physically attacked students, including women students, using punches, kicks, stones, bricks, sticks and other objects. Students were chased through the campus, including students who were not part of the protest and were simply carrying out their academic work: SRFTI
— IANS (@ians_india) September 27, 2026
Findings of the SRFTI report on late September 2026 leftist violence
On 24th October (Saturday), the SRFTI, under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, submitted an 18-page internal report detailing the attack and establishing a comprehensive timeline of events. OpIndia has accessed a copy of the report, which records the sequence of events beginning with the clash, the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the West Bengal government and the subsequent measures taken by the institute.
The internal document begins by setting out the official sequence of events alongside the security measures implemented around the initial clash. Explaining the background of the 27th September incident, the report clarifies: “On Sunday, 27 September 2026, when no regular academic activities were scheduled, an external organisation conducted a programme in the Main Auditorium with the requisite permission and on a paid basis. The programme did not involve unauthorised entry.”
Referring to the RSS-linked ABGP, the document confirms that the event had full administrative clearance. Addressing the actions of the protesting student groups, the report states, “Students in protest unauthorisedly entered the theatre premises, resulting in confrontations and physical fights.”
The report explicitly condemns the actions of the SFI goons who breached the venue without authorisation, adding, “Illegal entry of students inside the ongoing programme and vandalism led to the spiral of events with subsequent violence and agitation.”
Regarding official legal proceedings, the document records, “An FIR was registered on a formal complaint, and the Government of West Bengal constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT).”
It notes that the overall matter remains under active investigation by law enforcement authorities.
Detailing the immediate administrative updates and security protocols, the report highlights, “Following the incident, the Institute strengthened access control and internal security, maintained close coordination with local police, and facilitated interactions between student representatives and senior police officials.”
Furthermore, the document underlines that an internal fact-finding committee was established, initiating formal disciplinary proceedings over acts of vandalism and wall defacement committed on campus. The report emphasises that these actions represented specific acts of misconduct rather than peaceful demonstration.
Disciplinary actions culminated in the rustication of six leftist students for a period of one year following their involvement in vandalism and physical misconduct directed at the Vice-Chancellor. The document confirms that academic activities at the institute remain suspended until 13th November, with all students formally directed to vacate hostel premises and leave the campus.
Timeline of escalation: Gherao and blockade of the Vice-Chancellor
The internal report shifts to a detailed timeline tracking the repeated disruptions caused on campus following the initial clash. The timeline highlights that on 28th September, 2026, while the Vice-Chancellor was performing official duties inside his office, SFI goons gathered inside his room, occupied the space, and used abusive language against him.
The situation deteriorated further in October. Following the dispersal of a gathering outside the main gate around 6:00 PM on 4th October, a group of approximately 250 SFI members surrounded and gheraoed the Vice-Chancellor until roughly 11:00 PM. The blockading group effectively held the Vice-Chancellor hostage for nearly five hours.
During these five hours, the goons raised slogans and used abusive and objectionable language against institutional leadership. The report observes that this prolonged obstruction of the Vice-Chancellor from leaving his office or carrying out official duties raised serious concerns regarding the safety and dignity of institutional authorities, noting that such behaviour remains entirely inconsistent with the principles of a peaceful demonstration.
During the blockade, the SFI-led students’ union broadcast the entire incident live via their Instagram account under the username ‘srftioutloud’.
Defacement of institute property with derogatory and anti-Hindu slogans
One of the major issues highlighted in the report is the repeated defacement of the institute’s walls with abusive, derogatory and politically provocative expressions. As institutional walls were being defaced with derogatory, unparliamentary, and provocative wording, the institute received a formal communication from the Police Administration expressing serious concern that such expressions could aggravate public order.
In response, the institute administration issued an official notice to all students cautioning that any act of defacement or destruction of property would invite immediate disciplinary action under Academic Byelaws.
Despite the administrative notice, during the late-night hours preceding 6th October, SFI goons again defaced the outer walls of the institute using unparliamentary expressions. Subsequently, the Competent Authority constituted a committee to review the facts, identify responsible individuals, and proceed with appropriate disciplinary measures. The report stresses that property defacement and the use of provocative statements undermine the academic environment, institutional discipline, and campus safety.
Based on the findings of the investigative committee, three students identified in connection with the wall paintings were issued show-cause notices requiring responses within 24 to 48 hours. The report notes that cursing words were explicitly used against the highest authorities in the Government and the Hindus.
Photographs included in the report show slogans targeting the BJP, the RSS, the ABGP and other organisations. Some of the writings contained explicit profanity. The slogans included “Jai Bhim”, “Fck BJP” and “Fck RSS”. The Vice-Chancellor was also personally targeted through phrases such as “Sanghi VC” and “RSS-sponsored VC”.
The Communists also made their ideological stance clear by painting slogans like “Lal Salam” across the institute’s doors, alongside phrases targeting religious identity and national concepts, including ‘F*ck Hindutva’ and ‘F*ck your Hindu Rashtra’.
Additional defacement targeted political organisations and student unions, displaying phrases like “F*CK ABVP”, “F*ck ABGP”, “F*ck BJP”, and “F*ck BJYM”. Wall paintings also directly referenced state and national political leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Notably, a look at the social media presence of SRFTI reveals the extent to which radical ideology has permeated the campus environment. The institute’s Instagram page is filled with anti-Hindu slogans, explicit profanity, and severe hostility towards the BJP and RSS. Rather than serving as an objective academic platform representing a premier national film institute, the page functions essentially like an official mouthpiece for the SFI, regularly amplifying political rhetoric, hate speech, and confrontational campaign posts.
SFI goons gheraoed VC’s office again on 6th October
The report next describes another confrontation on 6 October, when at approximately 4:00 PM, a group of 50 to 60 SFI goons entered the Vice-Chancellor’s office without permission and occupied the administrative space. Members of the Staff Welfare Association subsequently entered the premises to offer support to the Vice-Chancellor against the abusive language being directed at him.
During this encounter, the SFI members also shouted directly at the staff members present. The report notes that this unauthorised entry, combined with confrontational conduct, severely disrupted essential administrative functions.
The leftist students occupied the Vice-Chancellor’s office for nearly two full days, using the space for sleeping and playing recreational games like chess and carrom. The occupying group refused to clear the room despite persistent requests from administrative staff. Following the incident, three students were issued show-cause notices for unauthorised occupation of administrative facilities.
Vandalism, damage to official property, and physical assault on the VC
During the two-day illegal occupation of the Vice-Chancellor’s office, property within the room was damaged, including the Vice-Chancellor’s official chair. The occupying group also disrespected and damaged an official portrait of the Prime Minister, breaking the photo frame and throwing it near the bathroom area.
The destruction of property continued in the following days. On 16th October, housekeeping staff discovered a broken windowpane in the Vice-Chancellor’s office with shattered glass scattered across the floor. The office air conditioning unit and water pipelines were also found damaged.
Apart from vandalism, the report details the matter of verbal abuse and physical misconduct towards the Vice-Chancellor. According to the document, after a meeting involving heads of departments and other senior officials to condemn the vandalism of the VC’s office, students surrounded the Vice-Chancellor and abused him and other senior officers. The report specifically names a student, Shubham, revealing that he verbally abused the VC and physically manhandled him by kicking him. Other students joined in the verbal abuse.
The administration has photographs and video footage of the incident. The report says that this material is available with the institute’s administration.
The allegations of physical misconduct became a significant part of the disciplinary proceedings. The document states that six students were rusticated for one year under the institute’s academic by-laws following incidents involving vandalism and alleged physical misconduct towards the Vice-Chancellor.
Further security breaches occurred on the night of 23rd October, when SFI goons again bypassed security personnel, broke the lock of the new Classroom Theatre (CRT), and occupied the building without authorisation. The group used high-value institutional equipment, including the sound and lighting systems, to hold a late-night party. Additionally, the outer perimeter walls of the institute were defaced again with anti-Hindu slogans including “F*ck Hindu rashtra” and “Reject Hindutva”.
Institute strengthens security, initiates disciplinary action
Concluding its account, the I&B Ministry report details the steps taken by SRFTI to address the incidents and restore normalcy. The institute filed an FIR against unidentified persons in connection with the violence on 27th September 2026. The West Bengal government subsequently constituted an SIT to investigate the matter.
The report also states that the Joint Secretary (Institutions) communicated with the Chief Secretary of West Bengal regarding the safety and security of students and staff members. The institute increased the height of its main gate, installed fencing wire and deployed additional security personnel on campus.
The Vice-Chancellor and other senior officials also held discussions with students, urging them to restore normalcy and resume regular academic activities. At the same time, the administration issued notices warning students against defacing institutional property and threatening disciplinary action under the academic by-laws.
After the walls were defaced again in early October, a committee was constituted to establish responsibility. Three students were issued show-cause notices following the committee’s findings. Six students were subsequently rusticated for one year following incidents involving vandalism and alleged physical misconduct towards the Vice-Chancellor.
The report further states that the institute suspended academic activities until 13th November 2026. Students were directed to vacate their hostel rooms and leave the campus in accordance with the applicable rules.
The findings detailed a systematic sequence of unrest triggered at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI). What began last month as an unauthorised entry by SFI goons and forcible disruption of a fully permitted, paid event hosted by the RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) escalated into weeks of continuous administrative paralysis and physical confrontations.
