Ahmedabad, August 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Three people have been arrested and around 20 others booked following an alleged attack on a public reading session featuring books by Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and Holocaust survivor Anne Frank at AUDA Garden in Ahmedabad’s Vastrapur area.
The incident took place on Thursday evening, with some participants reportedly sustaining injuries. Participants alleged that the attackers were associated with the Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP).
Vastrapur Police Inspector Gita Chaudhary told IANS that six people had so far been identified through CCTV footage, of whom three had been arrested.
“Twenty people have been booked in the incident. Further investigation is underway to establish all the facts and record statements,” she said.
An FIR was registered at Vastrapur Police Station under Sections 189(1), 191(2), 191(3), 190, 115(2), 351(2) and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The FIR names two accused and refers to a mob of around 18 unidentified people.
According to a complaint filed by local entrepreneur Jaykumar Thakkar, around 20-50 students, lawyers, media professionals and others had gathered at the garden from about 4 p.m. for a silent reading session. The books included Yousafzai’s ‘I Am Malala’, Anne Frank’s ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’, and works by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.
The complaint alleges that around 6:30 p.m., 30-40 men wearing saffron scarves entered the garden carrying wooden and iron sticks, bats and other objects. They allegedly questioned participants about reading Yousafzai’s book before the confrontation turned physical.
Participants Jay, Sneh, Savan and Shashi were allegedly assaulted with sticks, bats, punches and kicks, while Swati was allegedly pulled by her hair. Another participant, Maitreyee, was allegedly slapped, according to the complaint.
The reading session had been organised through social media amid a controversy involving a local school, where action had reportedly been taken following a dispute over the reading of books by Yousafzai and Anne Frank.
The participants alleged that members of the group identified themselves as being associated with the Bajrang Dal and VHP. Bajrang Dal coordinator Jwalit Mehta defended the opposition to the event, saying the organisation would oppose platforms promoting individuals it considers “anti-national”, citing Yousafzai’s position on Kashmir.
Police reached the spot after participants contacted the control room and took them to Vastrapur Police Station. Some of those injured subsequently received outpatient treatment at Sola Civil Hospital.
Investigators are examining additional video footage and recording statements from witnesses to identify others allegedly involved in the incident. Police said further lawful action would be taken as the investigation progresses.
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