NEW DELHI: A whole range of both national and international issues were discussed at the presidential debate of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union for its upcoming elections.
ABVP’s Manish Jangid began his speech with ‘Vande Mataram’ and raised some student-centric issues including “lack of hygiene” in hostels.
When his speech was over, students among other groups cheered.
The second speaker—NSUI’s Prashant Kumar —initially addressed an indifferent audience but later received cheers for criticising the Centre’s “fascism”.
He condemned the abrogation of Article 370 and debunked arguments that Kashmir was a free state. “It has been a part of this country since its independence. Their (Kashmiris’) voices haven’t been heard,” he said.
Most of his arguments received cheers from supporters of other groups excluding ABVP, of course, until he said that his group’s politics was away from the right wing’s violence and left-wing’s hypocrisy.
Dressed in saffron attire and head shaven, independent candidate Raghvendra Mishra, stepped on the stage with sharp resemblance with UP CM Yogi Adityanath.
“Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vande Mataram... Jai Sri Ram, Jai Bhawani, Jai Bhim, Jai Kalam,” Mishra shrieked and received a thumbs down from the audience as he paid respects to the “well-wishers of Right-wing”.
BAPSA’s Jitendra, for whom loud cheers began even before the event started, seemed to have the maximum number of supporters among the audiences who repeatedly raised slogans of “Jitendra Jeetega”.
He spoke about mob lynching against Muslims and Dalits and reminded everyone of Rohit Vemula’s case.
The most powerful speaker of the night Priyanka Bharti from RJD, who spoke about untouched issues of Amazon fire, NEP and attack on reservation, in her arguments, came across as the representative of the lower castes.
Aishe Ghosh, the last speaker and the presidential candidate for the Left unity, saluted the voices of journalist Gauri Lankesh and scholar Kalburgi. “We will not forget Akhlaq Khan, Junaid and Pehlu Khan” she said.