The controversy at Lakshmibai College took a new twist on Tuesday whenDelhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president Ronak Khatri applied cow dung on the office walls of the college principal, Pratyush Vatsala. He did this to protest against the same treatment she had supported for students.

The protest was sparked by a viral video showing the principal applying cow dung to classroom walls to “beat the heat.” She later explained that it was part of a research project by the college staff on eco-friendly cooling methods.

A video from Tuesday’s incident shows DUSU president Ronak Khatri and a group of students confronting a faculty member in the principal’s office. They demanded answers and questioned why students weren’t asked before cow dung was used in classrooms. "No consent was taken from students for such an initiative. If you want to do research, do it at your home," Khatri said.

Taking to X after the incident, Khatri doubled down on his criticism and said that he had gone to 'help' Principal Pratyush Vatsala by plastering her office walls too. "We have full faith that madam will now get the AC removed from her room and hand it over to students, and run the college in this modern and natural cool environment smeared with cow dung," he wrote.

Later, the principal responded to the criticism, defending the act as part of a faculty-led research project on traditional and eco-friendly cooling methods. "It is still in progress. I will share the full details of the research in a week," she told news agency PTI. She also mentioned that her actions were being misunderstood without the proper context."There’s no harm in touching natural mud," she said.

The Delhi University administration has not yet made an official statement about Tuesday’s incident. However, they had earlier said that the project is part of a study on eco-friendly ways to control temperature, especially with the rising heat in Delhi.

In a message to teachers, Vatsala reportedly shared the original video in a WhatsApp group, explaining that cow dung was being applied to classrooms in C Block. "Teachers who have classes here will soon see these rooms looking different. We are trying to make your teaching experience better," she wrote.

 

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