A wave of serious unrest began on September 27, 2026, at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) located in Kolkata, West Bengal. The campus became the center of a severe confrontation between two opposing factions: the Student Federation of India (SFI), a leftist student organization, and the Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP), a group linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Nearly a month after the initial clash, on October 24, an exhaustive internal report was submitted by SRFTI under the guidance of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This report outlined a deeply troubling series of events, emphasizing how leftist elements engaged in anti-Hindu sloganeering and eventually launched a direct physical attack on the institute’s Vice-Chancellor.

According to the claims presented by the attacking members of the SFI, attendees associated with the ABGP were raising deliberately provocative slogans during their scheduled gathering. On the other side, members of the ABGP maintained that SFI-affiliated individuals forcibly crashed their event. They reported that the students ripped down official event posters, disrupted the overall gathering, and physically assaulted the people who had come to attend. National media outlets such as India Today and OpIndia similarly documented these contrasting allegations, confirming that both groups actively traded accusations of initiating the violence and inflicting injuries on attendees.

Following the chaotic outbreak, the SRFTI Student Union publicly confessed to their role in the disruption. In a formal statement released on the evening of September 27, the union admitted that they intentionally marched into the auditorium to protest, create a ruckus, and halt the program. They justified their actions by claiming the administration had failed to inform them that the RSS-affiliated body had been granted official permission to host an event inside the Main Theatre auditorium.

Discoveries in the SRFTI Dossier on Late September 2026 Leftist Violence

On Saturday, October 24, 2026, the SRFTI administration formally submitted a detailed 18-page internal document to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This report presented a clear, comprehensive timeline of the continuous unrest. It logged everything from the very first physical confrontation to the lodging of a First Information Report (FIR) and the subsequent creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the West Bengal government, alongside the disciplinary measures taken by the institute itself.

Providing clarity on the original trigger for the violence, the document sets the official record straight: “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.”

The document entirely validates that the RSS-linked ABGP event was thoroughly cleared by the administration. In contrast, the report details the unauthorized and aggressive nature of the protesting students: “Students in protest unauthorisedly entered the theatre premises, resulting in confrontations and physical fights.”

The findings in the dossier strongly condemn the SFI members who breached the venue. The text explicitly notes that their actions were the root cause of the prolonged unrest on campus: “Illegal entry of students inside the ongoing programme and vandalism led to the spiral of events with subsequent violence and agitation.”

Outlining the official legal response to the chaos, the report states: “An FIR was registered on a formal complaint, and the Government of West Bengal constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT).” The document adds that law enforcement agencies are continuing to actively investigate the matter.

Furthermore, the dossier outlines the urgent administrative and security measures enforced immediately after the violence broke out: “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.”

In addition to external police intervention, the institute established an internal fact-finding committee. This committee was tasked with launching formal disciplinary proceedings against those responsible for acts of campus vandalism and the aggressive defacement of walls. The administration underscored that these destructive acts were clear violations of conduct, far removed from the boundaries of peaceful demonstration.

The disciplinary proceedings ultimately led to the rustication of six leftist students for a full year. This severe penalty was issued in response to their direct involvement in campus vandalism and physical misconduct toward the Vice-Chancellor. Reports from The Hindustan Times and Times of India corroborated these disciplinary actions, confirming the one-year expulsion. Due to the volatile environment, the official document also noted that all regular academic activities were suspended until November 13, 2026. Furthermore, all students were given formal instructions to leave the campus entirely and vacate their hostel premises.

Chronology of Escalation: Seige and Blockade of the Vice-Chancellor

The internal report provides a sequential timeline that tracks the relentless disruptions that plagued the campus after the first clash. The situation escalated quickly on September 28, 2026. While the Vice-Chancellor was seated in his office carrying out his administrative duties, a group of SFI members barged into his room. They occupied his personal workspace and shouted abusive language directly at him.

The campus environment worsened significantly in early October. On October 4, after a gathering near the main gate was dispersed around 6:00 PM, a massive crowd of approximately 250 SFI members encircled the Vice-Chancellor. They subjected him to a forceful gherao (blockade), holding him essentially hostage for nearly five straight hours until about 11:00 PM. Authentic coverage by The Financial Express similarly highlighted this five-hour confinement of the institutional head by the protesting mob.

Throughout these five hours of captivity, the mob continuously chanted slogans and hurled objectionable, deeply abusive language at the leadership of the institute. The official report observes that obstructing the Vice-Chancellor from leaving his office or performing his duties for such an extended period raised massive concerns regarding the safety, dignity, and basic operational capacity of the authorities. The dossier clarifies that such aggressive tactics completely violate the fundamental principles of peaceful student protest.

In a brazen display of their actions, the SFI-led students’ union decided to broadcast this entire blockade live. The incident was streamed on Instagram through their designated account handle, ‘srftioutloud’.

Vandalism of Institute Premises With Derogatory and Anti-Hindu Slogans

A critical issue documented in the 18-page report is the systematic and repeated defacement of the institute’s walls. The campus infrastructure was covered in abusive, derogatory, and highly provocative political slogans. The situation grew so intense that the local Police Administration had to step in. They sent a formal communication to the institute, warning that the specific derogatory expressions painted on the walls could easily aggravate public order in the broader area.

Reacting to the police warning, the institute’s administration released an official notice to the entire student body. The notice clearly cautioned that any further defacement or destruction of public property would result in immediate disciplinary action under the established Academic Byelaws.

However, the administrative warning was ignored. In the late-night hours just prior to October 6, SFI members returned to deface the outer perimeter walls of the institute using unparliamentary language. The Competent Authority responded by assembling a special committee to review the facts, identify the culprits, and initiate strict punishments. The report makes it clear that using provocative statements and destroying property fundamentally destroys campus safety, institutional discipline, and the required academic atmosphere.

Relying on the committee's investigation, the administration identified three specific students responsible for the wall paintings. These individuals were handed show-cause notices and ordered to submit their responses within a strict 24 to 48-hour window. The official document notes that severe cursing words were deliberately aimed at both the highest authorities in the Government and the Hindu community.

Photographic evidence attached to the report showcases slogans directly attacking the BJP, the RSS, the ABGP, and various other organizations, often utilizing explicit profanity. The painted texts included phrases like “Jai Bhim”, “Fck BJP”, and “Fck RSS”. The Vice-Chancellor was repeatedly targeted with personalized insults, including the terms “Sanghi VC” and “RSS-sponsored VC”.

The Communist students also aggressively broadcasted their ideological positions. They painted slogans such as “Lal Salam” across the institute’s doors. They coupled this with direct attacks on religious identity and national concepts, prominently writing ‘Fck Hindutva’ and ‘Fck your Hindu Rashtra’.

Further vandalism targeted political and student unions across the spectrum. Walls displayed aggressively worded phrases like “FCK ABVP”, “Fck ABGP”, “Fck BJP”, and “Fck BJYM”. Beyond organizations, the wall paintings also took direct aim at top state and national leaders. The names of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were specifically targeted in the defacements.

A review of the social media footprint linked to the SRFTI student body highlights how deeply radical ideologies have entrenched themselves within the campus. The ‘srftioutloud’ Instagram page is saturated with anti-Hindu slogans, heavy profanity, and extreme hostility directed at the BJP and the RSS. Instead of operating as a neutral platform representing the student body of a premier national film institute, the page essentially functions as the official mouthpiece for the SFI. It regularly amplifies political rhetoric, pushes confrontational campaign posts, and circulates hate speech.

SFI Cadres Besieged VC’s Office Again on 6th October

The situation reached another breaking point on October 6. At roughly 4:00 PM, a large group of 50 to 60 SFI members pushed their way into the Vice-Chancellor’s office without any authorization. They occupied the vital administrative space, refusing to leave. Members of the Staff Welfare Association quickly stepped into the room to offer their protection and support to the Vice-Chancellor, who was being aggressively subjected to abusive language.

During this tense standoff, the SFI students turned their anger toward the staff members, shouting directly in their faces. The report stresses that this hostile, unauthorized entry paralyzed essential administrative operations on campus.

The leftist student group maintained their occupation of the Vice-Chancellor’s office for almost two complete days. They turned the professional workspace into a lounge, using it to sleep and play recreational games like carrom and chess. Despite repeated, persistent requests from the administrative staff to clear the area, the occupying mob refused to budge. Once the occupation finally ended, three students were officially served with show-cause notices for the unauthorized takeover of administrative facilities.

Vandalism, Damage to Official Premises, and Physical Assault on the VC

During the illegal two-day occupation, the students inflicted heavy damage on the property inside the room. The Vice-Chancellor’s official chair was damaged. Furthermore, the occupying mob disrespected an official portrait of the Prime Minister. They deliberately broke the photo frame and discarded it near the office bathroom area.

The destruction of institute property did not stop there. A few days later, on October 16, the housekeeping staff arrived to find a broken windowpane inside the Vice-Chancellor’s office, with shattered pieces of glass scattered all across the floor. The office's air conditioning unit and its connected water pipelines were also found intentionally damaged.

Beyond property destruction, the dossier outlines shocking details regarding physical and verbal attacks against the institutional head. According to the document, senior officials and heads of departments had convened a meeting to condemn the recent vandalism of the VC’s office. Right after this meeting concluded, a mob of students surrounded the Vice-Chancellor and other senior officers. They unleashed a torrent of abuse. The report singles out a specific student named Shubham, stating that he not only hurled verbal abuses but also physically manhandled the Vice-Chancellor by kicking him. Other students actively joined in the verbal assault. The Times of India later reported on these exact incidents of vandalism and physical manhandling, confirming the severity of the confrontation.

The administration has secured concrete proof, possessing both photographs and video footage of this assault. The report confirms that this evidence is safely held by the institute’s administration.

These severe allegations of physical misconduct formed the core of the subsequent disciplinary hearings. Due to these specific incidents of vandalism and the physical assault on the Vice-Chancellor, the document states that six students were rusticated for a period of one year, strictly enforcing the institute’s academic by-laws.

Yet, security breaches continued to happen. On the night of October 23, SFI members bypassed the deployed security personnel and broke the lock on the doors of the new Classroom Theatre (CRT). They occupied the building without any official permission. Once inside, the group hijacked high-value institutional equipment—including advanced lighting and sound systems—to throw a late-night party. By the next morning, the outer perimeter walls of the institute were found defaced yet again, covered with fresh anti-Hindu slogans reading “F*ck Hindu rashtra” and “Reject Hindutva”.

Institute Fortifies Security, Initiates Disciplinary Action

Concluding its detailed assessment, the Ministry of I&B report lays out the specific steps SRFTI took to combat the unrest and bring the campus back to normalcy. The institute officially filed an FIR against unidentified individuals regarding the initial outbreak of violence on September 27, 2026. This prompted the West Bengal government to assemble a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter.

Additionally, the report confirms that the Joint Secretary (Institutions) directly communicated with the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to ensure the ongoing safety and security of both staff members and students. Taking physical precautions, the institute successfully increased the height of its main front gate, installed protective fencing wire, and deployed an increased number of security personnel across the campus grounds.

Throughout the crisis, the Vice-Chancellor and his senior officials engaged in dialogues with the students, continually urging them to help restore order so that regular academic activities could resume. Simultaneously, the administration issued firm notices warning students that any further defacement of institutional property would result in harsh disciplinary action under the academic by-laws.

Following the repeated wall defacements in early October, a specialized committee was formed to trace responsibility. Based on their findings, three students were served with show-cause notices. Ultimately, six students faced a strict one-year rustication due to their involvement in the campus vandalism and the physical attacks directed at the Vice-Chancellor.

To ensure safety, the report notes that the institute was forced to suspend all academic activities until November 13, 2026. Under applicable campus rules, all students were explicitly directed to pack up, vacate their hostel rooms, and leave the campus entirely.

The detailed findings showcase a highly organized and systematic timeline of unrest that crippled the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. What initially sparked late last month as an unauthorized disruption by SFI members against a fully permitted, paid event organized by the RSS-linked ABGP, ultimately descended into weeks of continuous administrative paralysis, vandalism, and violent physical confrontations.