Tensions escalated late Friday night time at Jawaharlal Nehru College (JNU) in Delhi as a scuffle broke out between RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Left-backed pupil teams throughout a gathering relating to the upcoming college students’ union polls. Either side claimed accidents amongst their members, sparking allegations and counter-allegations amid the chaos.
The confrontation unfolded in the course of the College Basic Physique Assembly (UGBM) on the Sabarmati Dhaba on campus, geared toward choosing members of the Election Fee for the 2024 JNUSU polls. Left-affiliated Democratic College students’ Federation (DSF) accused ABVP members of disrupting the assembly by encroaching upon the dias, heckling council members, and obstructing proceedings.
Movies shared on social media depicted heated exchanges and sloganeering between ABVP and JNU college students’ union members, with college safety personnel trying to revive order.
In response, DSF issued a press release accusing ABVP of colluding with the administration to thwart the democratic course of.
“In response to the JNU Administration’s announcement of the beginning of the JNUSU elections for 2023-2024, the ABVP has teamed up with the administration to hinder the UGBM known as by the scholars and halt the democratic course of initiated for the conduct of JNUSU election 2024,” the DSF mentioned in a press release.
The College students’ Federation of India claimed that JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh was attacked by ABVP college students.
“Aishe Ghosh, president, JNUSU was heckled and shamelessly attacked by ABVP lumpens. They are often seen throwing water on her. Such disgraceful behaviour towards a feminine pupil of JNU shouldn’t be tolerated at any value,” a press release mentioned.
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Nonetheless, ABVP asserted that their members had been focused by Left teams, with accusations of bodily assaults and private vendettas. The correct-wing pupil group claimed that ABVP-JNU secretary Vikas Patel was attacked by DSF actions whereas one other pupil, Prashanto Bagchi, was thrashed in the course of the ruckus to settle private scores.
An MA remaining 12 months pupil, Prafulla, was attacked with a pointy weapon, the ABVP alleged. It additional alleged {that a} differently-abled pupil supporting their group was overwhelmed by Left-wing college students. The scenario worsened as ABVP accused Left-led events of instigating disruptions after failing to forestall the UGBM from continuing.
Shifting the blame on the Left teams for the disruption, the ABVP mentioned in a press release, “At present, the all-party organised a College Basic Physique Assembly at Sabarmati floor at 9.30 pm. At first JNUSU had handed casteist slurs to the mic and sound staff as they didn’t need ABVP to take part within the UGBM.”
“The employees felt humiliated and backed off. Nonetheless, ABVP activists talked to them and influenced them to not take away the mic and sound system. When the Left-led events (AISA, SFI, DSF and lots of extra) noticed that the UGBM will happen anyhow, they tried to disturb the GBM. Nonetheless, the ABVP failed all their ways. Ultimately, they began beating ABVP activists,” it added.
A lot of college students assembled on the Sabarmati Dhaba on the campus to take part in voting for electing members of the EC on the UGBM. Earlier on Friday, the JNUSU had obtained the required quorum (signatures from college students amounting to 1/tenth of the college’s energy) to provoke the UGBM course of.