In Rajasthan’s Barmer district, a protest against a big jump in college fees got out of hand when police detained two student leaders after they made comments about District Collector Tina Dabi. This happened outside Multanmal Bhikhchand Chhajed Women’s College of Barmer district in Rajasthan, where students and two guys from the ABVP group were up in arms over a sudden three times fee hike. They said it would make college too expensive for girls from poor families who could barely afford it.
Things heated up during talks with officials. Students claimed the police grabbed the two leaders just because one called Tina Dabi a “reel star” instead of their role model. One of the leaders reportedly referred to District Collector Tina Dabi as a “reel star” and said she was not their role model. Students said that this remark alone led to the detentions.
After the two leaders were taken into custody, several women students marched to the Kotwali police station and began a sit-in protest inside the premises. The students demanded the release of the arrested leaders and claimed that the authority was trying to suppress them instead of listening to their grievances.
The students were mad about the timing, too. They pointed out that if police were worried about trouble, why wait till the demo ended? They warned they’d keep the sit-in going and slammed the administration for shutting down their real complaints.
Earlier in the day, senior officials, including the Additional District Magistrate and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, had visited the college to calm the situation. During discussions, the SDM reportedly described Collector Tina Dabi as a role model. The students replied that she is not their role model. Their role model is Ahilyabai Holkar. They also said that she is instead a “reel star”.
Barmer, Rajasthan: During a student protest in Barmer, remarks calling DM Tina Dabi a “reel star” led police to detain protesters under non-bailable charges. After backlash, the SP ordered their release and expressed regret. pic.twitter.com/ox53I0k5Kh
— Krishna Chaudhary (@KrishnaTOI) December 22, 2025
Another student said the comment was made after a teacher referred to Tina Dabi as a role model. She added that the student leader responded by saying their role models were historical figures such as Ahilyabai Holkar and Rani Durgavati.
As the tensions escalated, Barmer SP Narendra Singh rushed over. He straight-up said, “We made a mistake, we accept it,” and told the students to cool off. District Collector Tina Dabi later responded, speaking over the phone, dismissed the controversy, calling the detention a routine measure to maintain law and order. She said officials were subjected to misbehaviour during the protest, and police acted to prevent the situation from escalating.
She added that the student leaders were released without any case being registered, signalling an attempt to defuse tensions as protests continued to simmer in the district.
