Several injured as ABVP, Left-backed groups clash at JNU
NEW DELHI: At least three students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) were injured in a violent clash that broke out between members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-backed groups.
The incident took place on Thursday night reportedly after disagreements over the appointment of election committee members at the School of Languages.
Several videos have been doing rounds on social media that show a person hitting others with a stick, while in another video a person attempted to toss a bicycle at a group of people.
Other videos from the scene purportedly display individuals being attacked by a group, despite efforts by university security personnel to intervene and stop them.
The police have received three medico-legal case reports of students, Anwesha Rai, Shaurya, and Madhurima, regarding the injuries from Safdarjung hospital.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (south-west Delhi) Rohit Meena, said they received multiple PCR calls around 1.15 am regarding a scuffle between students at GBM in JNU. "We have received multiple complaints in this regard and the allegations are being verified," the DCP said.
The Left-backed All India Students Association (AISA) accused the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of disrupting the selection process for the election committee.
"They singled out the Muslim students and they opposed whenever any Muslim student proposed their names for the upcoming election committee. They also vitiated the atmosphere of school GBM premises by threatening students, with sexist and casteist slurs," the AISA said in a statement.
The AISA demanded that the office of the JNU Vice Chancellor acknowledge the alleged act of vandalism and violence. "These perpetrators must be punished; they should be booked under relevant sections for unleashing such unprecedented violence," the student body said.
The ABVP on the other hand accused left-backed student groups led by JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh of attacking students affiliated with the Bachelors and Masters programs at the School of Language, Literature, and Cultural Studies.
"The assailants, reportedly associated with Ghosh and her cohorts, unleashed a wave of violence against the students, demonstrating an appalling disregard for human safety and dignity. Shockingly, even physically handicapped students were not spared from the brutality inflicted upon them," the ABVP said.
Students from both Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-backed groups have filed police complaints against each other.
The complaints were registered at Vasant Kunj North police station.
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.
University Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit said 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," she told PTI.
The vice-chancellor also said once the medicolegal cases of students severely injured in the violence are done, the authority concerned will prepare a report and take appropriate action.
Pandit warned the students that any act of violence on campus may lead to deferring the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) polls further.
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 also 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.
"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.
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 inputs from PTI)