A confrontation broke out in the early hours of Thursday during a general body meeting (GBM) at Jawaharlal Nehru University’s School of Social Sciences (SSS). Left-affiliated student groups accused the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) of “hooliganism,” while the right-wing student organisation alleged that its members were subjected to “regional hatred” and violence.
The Delhi Police, meanwhile, described the episode as a “minor scuffle” and said no injuries have been reported. No complaint has been registered with the JNU administration so far either.
The clash occurred during a meeting to form the election committee for the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) polls, scheduled for November.
In a statement titled ‘ABVP’s Hooliganism in JNU School GBMs’, All India Students’ Association (AISA), a left-wing student group, said, “Yet again ABVP’s hooliganism and violence is disrupting democratic practices in JNU.”
The group alleged that “ABVP hooligans began heckling councillors who were presenting their work reports and snatched a phone”.
“When students began to question, they began beating students who were present in the GBM,” it said.
Linking the incident to upcoming student union elections, the statement said, “Due to this, their (ABVP’s) defeat is guaranteed this election. This is the reason they are resorting to violence to disrupt the electoral process.”
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“Time and again, ABVP has been obstructing democratic processes, to the extent that Election Commission members could not be elected in the SIS GBM…” it said.
JNUSU general secretary Munteha Fatima alleged that president Nitish Kumar was physically restrained. “Nitish Kumar was gheraoed for more than an hour by ABVP goons… He was beaten multiple times,” said Fatima.
ABVP alleges discrimination
The ABVP issued a counterstatement, saying an “offensive and condemnable incident occurred,” alleging that a left-wing councillor declared that “students from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and those associated with the ABVP are unfit to attend JNU and should be thrown out of the auditorium and this campus”.
The ABVP said, “When students affiliated with the ABVP tried to peacefully protest and express their views democratically, the Leftist students attacked them. Several students, including female students, were injured in the violence.”
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Calling the alleged assault “extremely shameful and condemnable,” the ABVP said, “This incident is an insult to the dignity of JNU. Differences of opinion are natural, but responding to disagreement with violence and spreading regional hatred is against democracy.”
The statement added, “ABVP-JNU makes it clear that it stands with every student who has been a victim of left-wing violence or discrimination. ABVP’s struggle to protect democracy, respect and dialogue in the university will continue.
A police officer said, “Last night, they had a minor scuffle. The JNUSU president said the GBM would happen and asked the ABVP people to stay up, but he ended up sleeping. Then in the morning, he said, ‘Now it will happen at 9 am’, but the ABVP guys refused because some members were not available. No complaint or anything (has been filed) so far. No injuries (have been reported) to anyone.”
