A clash erupted between members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS)-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), along with left student bodies such as All India Students' Association (AISA) and Students' Federation of India (SFI), on Sunday night, 14 November, over a programme organised in the student union hall marking the birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru.
Both ABVP and the JNUSU have accused each other of violently attacking their members and injuring students.
In a statement released by the students' union, the JNUSU has claimed that the violence by the ABVP is “not an isolated incident nor is it one to be taken lightly.”
'ABVP Only Knows Violence': AISA
The JNUSU further informed that the room was booked on 14 November for a reading session. However, on reaching there, the space was occupied by some 15 ABVP members.
On being asked to leave, the ABVP resorted to violence, the JNUSU has claimed.
Former JNUSU president and current AISA president N Sai Balaji tweeted a video of the violence and said that the ABVP only knows violence
The statement of the students' union concluded, “The JNUSU reiterates that ABVP's aggressively vile and undemocratic tendencies shall be resisted tooth and nail by the student community. The enforced disappearance of Najeeb Ahmad on 15 October, five years ago, murderous attack(s) on the student community on 5 January 2020 and yesterday’s brutality reflect the ideology and the political line(s) ABVP resorts to, to keep itself afloat.”
‘Chaotic and Goonda Elements’: ABVP
Meanwhile, in a tweet in Hindi, ABVP said, “The Left has once again shown their true face by attacking the ABVP workers meeting in JNU. ABVP strongly condemns the attack on JNU workers and demands from JNU Administration and Delhi Police to take strict action against such chaotic and goonda elements.”
Further claiming that the left parties assaulted students for holding a meeting at the student activities centre, the ABVP said in a statement, “The JNUSU and the left parties have brought out the decree that only JNUSU president can give permissions for using the student activities centre. And, to impose this, they resorted to collective violence on ABVP activists having a peaceful gathering in the Teflas.”
The Delhi Police has registered a First Information Report (FIR) into the incident, Financial Express reported.
Deputy commissioner of police, Southwest, Gaurav Sharma, said, “Police responded to the call swiftly. We did not find any quarrel taking place on the spot. On inquiry, it was learnt that heated arguments took place between two groups of students,” news agency PTI reported.
Sharma said that an inquiry is on and action will be taken accordingly.
(With inputs from PTI and The Financial Express.)
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