Bengaluru rural police have registered cases against almost two dozen ABVP activists who stormed Azim Premji University and vandalised the campus on Tuesday over allegations that an event at the institution was promoting separatism and secession of Jammu and Kashmir.

The protesters were produced before a judicial court on Wednesday and released on conditional bail. Karnataka home minister G. Parameshwara said stringent action would be taken against those who tried to take the law into their hands.

Around 100 ABVP activists staged a demonstration on the campus on Tuesday against what they said was an “anti-national” event conducted by the AISA-backed organisation Spark.

The agitators smeared the varsity nameplate with black ink and claimed that the
event was part of a larger agenda to “divide” India and Kashmir. The protest soon spiralled into violence in which several security personnel were injured.

The university reported the incident to the Sarjapura police station and the protesters were rounded up.