A scuffle broke out late Thursday night at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) between students belonging to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-associated groups.
Jawaharlal Nehru University Update: A scuffle broke out late Thursday night at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) between students belonging to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-associated groups reportedly over the selection of election committee members at the School of Languages. Sharing a post on X, news agency ANI wrote, “A clash broke out between ABVP and Left-backed student groups at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), last night. The ruckus was reportedly over the selection of election committee members at the School of Languages.”
#WATCH | Delhi | A clash broke out between ABVP and Left-backed student groups at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), last night. The ruckus was reportedly over the selection of election committee members at the School of Languages.
(Video Source: JNU students)
(Note: Abusive… pic.twitter.com/BfpFlhUM2T— ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2024
In the video posted by news agency ANI, a man can be seen thrashing students with a stick while in another, a person is seen throwing a bicycle at students. Students from both Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Left-backed groups have filed police complaints against each other. Other videos also purportedly showed individuals being mobbed and beaten up by a group while security personnel of the university tried to rescue them.
The complaints were registered at Vasant Kunj North police station. As per the news agency PTI report, a university official said some students have been admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.” We received information about the clashes on the campus at 1.15 am. At least four students were injured. Multiple complaints have been received from both sides. Further inquiry is on,” a police officer told PTI.
ABVP, Left-backed groups clash at JNU; Vice-Chancellor Warns of Strict Action
University Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit added the administration will look into the matter and take strict action. “The JNU (students’ union) elections are conducted by students. It is their responsibility to ensure that it is a peaceful democratic process. The Inter-hostel Administration (IHA) oversees the conduct of the polls. Any complaints by the students’ body will be looked into by the IHA. Very strict action will be taken against those found guilty irrespective of their political affiliation,” Pandit told PTI. Pandit warned the students that any act of violence on campus may lead to deferring the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) polls further.
ABVP, Left-backed groups clash at JNU; NUSU Joint Secretary Claimes Receiving Threats to His Life
The ABVP told PTI that two students seen in one of the videos beating others with a stick and throwing a bicycle were members of its JNU unit and claimed that they were trying to defend themselves. On the other hand, Left-backed groups alleged that ABVP members, disgruntled by the selection of the election committee members, attacked JNUSU office bearers and other students. JNUSU Joint Secretary Mohammad Danish, who was presiding the School General Body Meeting along with JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, claimed that he received threats to his life from ABVP members because of his religious identity. He alleged that he was held hostage during the meeting.
“On the last day of the General Body Meeting at the School of Languages, ABVP resorted to another round of violence at the end of the meeting. Initially attempting to disrupt the selection process for the election committee, the ABVP resorted to violence against students when thwarted by JNU students,” the Left-backed All India Students Association (AISA) claimed in a statement.
‘The entire day these lumpens kept on disrupting the process of the GBM. They singled out the muslim students and they opposed whenever any muslim student propose their names for upcoming election committee. They also vitiated the atmosphere of school GBM premises by threatening students, by sexist and casteist slurs. Another lumpen Praful, M.A., Korean from the same school could be seen picking up a bicycle and tossing towards the students gathered for the GBM. The despicable sight of Priyanshu, a student supposedly at the center of German studies, brazenly joining the gang of thugs of ABVP to physically assault a fellow student is utterly infuriating and reprehensible!,’ AISA tweeted.
Press Release_________
◆ ABVP resorts to violence at the end of the SL GBM.
◆ The JNU community must stand against these bloodthirsty goons.
◆ The JNU admin must stop shielding the ABVP; they must be punished for the bloodbath.
The last day of the GBM at the School of… pic.twitter.com/1sXIunoNjD
— AISA (@AISA_tweets) March 1, 2024
“Accompanied by Kanhaiya Kumar, a student of Japanese MA and the ring-leader of the SL (School of Languages) unit, the ABVP goons were seen wielding rods and targeting and beating common students indiscriminately. They singled out Muslim students and objected to the names of Muslim students being proposed for the election committee,” it alleged.
The Left students’ group claimed their members Shaurya and Madhurima Kundu, both pursuing PhD, and Priyam and Anwesha, students of MA Linguistics, were chased and beaten up by ABVP members. It also accused the JNU administration of shielding the RSS-affiliated student group.
ABVP Accuses the Left group of foul play
The ABVP, in turn, accused the Left group of foul play in electing the candidates of the election committee and alleged that the politburo chief in the General Body Meeting tried to provide undue advantage to SFI candidates. “In General Body Meeting at the School of Languages, the chief of Politburo unilaterally declared that first election committee candidates who have secured more than two-third of the seats will be automatically declared winners. In the counting process if 100 hands are being raised to support a candidate, then the Politburo chief counts it as 300. “The open rigging in the counting of votes and imposition of self-made rules is a manifestation of autocracy akin to the system of Politburo,” the ABVP said in a statement while claiming that its members were injured in the attack by the Left groups.
(With Agencies Inputs)