DUSU leader retaliates with cow dung, says college principal should now use ‘natural cooling’ herself. Watch

The Delhi University administration has not yet issued an official response to Tuesday’s escalation. (Image: PTI)

The controversy surrounding Lakshmibai College took a turn on Tuesday after Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) president Ronak Khatri smeared cow dung on the office walls of college principal Dr Pratyush Vatsala—offering her, quite literally, a taste of the same method she had advocated for students as a cooling solution.

The incident, which was caught on video and circulated widely across social media, showed Khatri and a group of students entering the principal’s office and confronting a faculty member. They demanded accountability for what they described as a bizarre and unsanctioned experiment involving coating classroom walls with cow dung. The video of Vatsala herself applying the dung mixture had gone viral earlier, prompting widespread outrage and ridicule.

“No consent was taken from students for such an initiative,” Khatri told PTI Videos while arguing with college staff. “If you want to do research, do it at your home,” he added.

The DUSU president later posted about the incident on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), confirming his actions and doubling down on his criticism of the principal’s initiative. “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,” Khatri wrote, referencing the principal’s own justification for the original act.

VIDEO | Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) president Ronak Khatri smears cow dung on the walls of the principals office at Lakshmibai College.(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/by5B6msIAl
Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 15, 2025

The controversy erupted after a video emerged showing Principal Vatsala coating classroom walls with a cow dung mixture. She later defended her actions on 13 April, stating that the initiative was part of an ongoing faculty-led research project into indigenous and sustainable cooling methods.

“It is under process. I will be able to share details of the full research after a week,” she told news agency PTI. Emphasising the project’s scientific intent, she said that her actions were being misinterpreted and taken out of context.

“There’s no harm in touching natural mud,” Vatsala added.

The Delhi University administration has not yet issued an official response to Tuesday’s escalation. However, in earlier internal communication, it had maintained that the initiative was rooted in scientific inquiry into eco-friendly alternatives for regulating temperature—particularly pertinent given the intensifying heat levels in Delhi.

Vatsala had reportedly circulated the original video in a teachers’ WhatsApp group, announcing that the cow dung coating had been applied to classrooms in C Block. “Those who have classes here will soon get these rooms in a new look. Efforts are being made to make your teaching experience pleasant,” she wrote.