Clashes break out between AISA and ABVP in JNU

Clashes broke out between students affiliated to All India Students’ Association (AISA), the student wing of CPI-ML, and those affiliated to Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the youth wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, in Jawaharlal Nehru University last night.

AISA released a statement saying that after some 15 members of ABVP occupied the JNUSU office on the night of Nov 14, even though some other organisation had booked it to hold their programme, AISA members “tried to convince” ABVP members to leave the office. However, ABVP members abused them and catcalled them, following which AISA activists and other students started protesting outside the JNUSU office, and raised slogans against ABVP.

AISA’s statement added, “The desperate ABVP lumpens resorted to violence. Their goons started hitting common students. Comrade Dhananjay and Comrade Aman had to suffer injuries. Comrade Akhtarista and Comrade Dripta were subjected to verbal abuse and manhandling by the goons of ABVP. Vivek Pandey, a student from SIS got severely injured. Former JNUSU Councillor, Umesh, and various other left activists faced injuries due to this attack. The Cyclops guards, like always, stood there as mute spectators of the attack by the ABVP goons.”

ABVP, on the other hand, alleged that students affiliated with Left parties attacked a peaceful meeting of ABVP activists, and termed the incident “another instance of Campus Naxalism”. The official handle of ABVP tweeted, “Finger of a MA student was broken in this brutal assault, a Divyang student was manhandled, and various abvp activists were hit.”

Vasant Kunj North Police said that they had received information regarding “slogans being raised and apprehension of quarrel”, but when they reached the campus they found no such thing happening. However, it was revealed during enquiry that “heated arguments” took place between two groups of students. The police stated that while JNUSU has not lodged any complaint, ABVP activists and one other student affiliated with the Left have given written complaints to them.

Aishe Ghosh, JNUSU President and SFI activist, took to Twitter and said, “ABVP'S GOONS UNLEASHED VIOLENCE IN JNU TODAY. Time and again these criminals have unleashed violence on students and have disrupted campus democracy. Will the JNU Administration still be silent ? Will no actions be taken on the goons ?”

AISA has now called for people to join a “resistance march against ABVP’s hooliganism” on Nov 15.