New Delhi : Violence, case registered after ABVP allegedly stopped non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami

Several students were injured in a clash between two groups over disagreements over serving non-vegetarian food at the Cauvery hostel of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday.

It is reported that the members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student organization of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, had opposed the serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami.

Police said that six students were injured in the incident. However, both the factions claimed that over 60 students from both the sides were injured.

The Delhi Police on Monday registered an FIR against unknown members of the ABVP in connection with a clash between the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU) and the ABVP over serving non-vegetarian food in the hostel ‘mess’.

JNUSU alleged that ABVP members prevented students from eating non-vegetarian food in the hostel and created an atmosphere of violence.

At the same time, ABVP denied the allegation and claimed that Left students obstructed the worship program organized in the hostel on Ram Navami.

Both sides accused each other of pelting stones and injuring their respective members.

Meanwhile, several purported videos related to the violence surfaced on social media, in which a student named Akhtarista Ansari is seen bleeding from his head. However, officials have not confirmed the authenticity of the video.

JNUSU alleged that ABVP members indulged in hooliganism, assaulted employees and asked them not to prepare any non-vegetarian food.

He alleged, “They were forcing the ‘mess’ committee to change the dinner menu for all the students and to remove the normal non-vegetarian food from it and they were also attacked.”

JNUSU said that JNU and its hostels are not for any particular class but for all

JNU Students’ Union councilor Anagha Pradeep said, “Every Sunday, both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food is cooked in all the hostels. This is a normal process. ABVP was doing some program near Kaveri Hostel and when the vendor came to deliver the chicken, they stopped him. Both the vendor and the mess secretary were tortured and told that havan is being done and non-vegetarian food cannot be made.

ABVP, on the other hand, claimed that Left students had disrupted Ram Navami puja on the campus.

ABVP workers say, ‘Non-vegetarian food was not an issue. JNU students were performing Ram Navami Havan in Kaveri Hostel but the Left wanted controversy and with this intention they tried to stop the Havan and were not allowing people to participate in it. This havan was to be held at 3.30 pm but due to the uproar, it could not start even till 5 pm. No one opposed non-vegetarian food, this controversy was prepared as a shield. Iftar party and havan were being held in the hostel without any controversy.

On the other hand, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South West) Manoj C. said that a total of six students have received injuries, who were taken to the hospital.

He said that on Monday morning he received complaints from JNUSU, Students Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Students Federation (DSF) and All India Students Association (AISA) member students against unknown activists of ABVP.

“Based on the complaint, IPC sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 509 (outraging the dignity of women), 506 (intimidation) and 34 (criminal act with the same intention), he said. An FIR has been registered under Further investigation is on to collect evidence and identify the culprits.

The police also added that a counter complaint would be lodged by the ABVP students at the police station and legal action would be initiated accordingly.

A day after clashes broke out between two groups of students in JNU, security has been tightened to maintain peace and prevent any untoward incident on Monday.

According to the police, security has been beefed up inside and outside the campus. At present, police force has been deployed outside the campus, while the security personnel of the university are handling the security inside the campus.

A senior police official said, “Our personnel are yet to be deployed inside the JNU campus as the university has not yet requested for security. However, we are monitoring the situation.

“We have deployed our teams outside the campus. If the university requests, of course our personnel will be deployed inside the campus as well. The university has its own security personnel, who have been deployed inside the campus.

According to sources, the university’s vice-chancellor Shantisree D. Pandit was not in the campus at the time of the incident and immediately after getting information about the matter, she reached here on Sunday night.

Several purported videos of violence surfaced on social media, one of which showed blood coming out of the head of a student, Akhtarista Ansari. Taking to Twitter late Sunday night, Ansari said that she has been discharged from the hospital and is feeling better.

She tweeted and said, ‘I have been discharged from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and I am feeling better. The fight against Sanghi goons and fascist forces will continue. Inquilab Zindabad. Arrest the Sanghi goons.