'Whatever happened in JNU was not right’: Union Minister Athawale on violence
Left-wing student union and RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) clashed amid arguments over non-vegetarian food at a hostel in the JNU on Sunday.
Union minister for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale has condemned the clash at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on Sunday. Speaking to the reporters, he said that “whatever happened in JNU was not right.” “It should not have happened. Ram Navami is a holy festival for Hindus and if someone takes a stand to not eat non-veg then it's not wrong. All ideologies must be accepted,” he added. The union minister also said that a case should be filed against those involved.
Students belonging to a left-wing student union and RSS-linked Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) clashed amid arguments over non-vegetarian food at a hostel in the JNU on Sunday. Sharing photos and videos on social media to back their claims, the two groups accused each other of triggering violence on the campus.
Jawaharlal Nehru Students Union (JNUSU) president Aishe Ghosh alleged that members of the ABVP created a ruckus on the campus, and assaulted members of the hostel mess over cooking chicken. Countering this, the ABVP alleged that the left-wing student unions disrupted a prayer ceremony organized on the occasion of Ram Navami by shouting slogans.
Also read: Accused from both sides booked, JNU admin tells students to exercise restraint
According to the Delhi police on Sunday, they have registered an FIR against unknown ABVP members. “We received a complaint from a group of students who are members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF, and AISA in the early morning of April 11, 2022, against unknown ABVP students. Accordingly, we have registered an FIR under section 323/341/509/506/34 of the Indian Penal Code. Further investigation is on to collect factual, scientific evidence and identify the culprits,” a statement read.
Meanwhile, the JNU on Monday issued a warning to students over the violence. Stating that the university has a “zero-tolerance policy towards any form of violence”, it warned students to “refrain from any such incident that disturbs the peace and harmony on the campus.” The university further underlined that “if anyone is found indulging in such actions, they will be liable for disciplinary action as per the university rules.”
