A brawl broke between the Left organisations and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) during a University General Body Meeting (UGBM) at Jawaharlal Nehru University on Monday night.
The All India Students’ Association (AISA) alleged that UGBM was convened at the Sabarmati lawn to discuss the issue of student participation in the upcoming Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) elections and the broader fight for gender justice on campus.
The AISA accused the ABVP of forcibly hijacking the event, preventing student leaders and attendees from engaging in democratic discussions.
ABVP JNU unit Secretary Shika Swaraj alleged that in the UGBM, the left parties were ill mouthing about the saffron organisation and were not addressing the ICC issue and when ABVP asked them to talk about the same, they started heckling them.
”During his speech, the Left member said that Veer Savarkar was the role model of the ABVP Karyakarta and had used derogatory words for the Hindutva ideologue . The saffron organisation strongly opposes such attempts by the Leftists to create communal disharmony on the JNU Campus,” Swaraj added.
Meanwhile, the Left organisation also alleged that ABVP members stormed the stage, snatched microphones, and physically intimidated students and elected members of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU), including JNUSU President Dhananjay and Joint Secretary Mohammad Sajid.
The altercation became particularly volatile when an ABVP member reportedly hurled casteist slurs at a Dalit student who was sharing his views, said a Left organisation member.
According to AISA, ABVP members also orchestrated chaos by cutting off the lights temporarily and maintaining an illegal occupation of the stage for hours.
The Left organisation has called upon the JNU community to unite against what they describe as “fascist forces” intent on undermining the democratic character of the university.
“We stand firm in our commitment to creating a democratic and inclusive space for students on this campus, particularly in addressing cases of sexual harassment,” an AISA spokesperson said.