JNU violence: Delhi Police registers FIR against unknown ABVP students

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Monday said they have registered a first information report (FIR) against unknown Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members in connection with Sunday's clash at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

The clash between two groups of students, over non-vegetarian food being served in the hostel mess on the day of Ram Navami, officials said today.

Students who were injured, and JNU Students' Union officials say the trouble started when chicken, a regular item of the hostel menu, was brought to the Cauvery Hostel at JNU, was 'banned' by the ABVP on Sunday, claiming that there was a Ram Navami pooja on campus. In the attack by ABVP activists that followed, several students were injured. ABVP activists used batons and tube lights as Delhi police and university security staff silently stood by. Many students were admitted to the hospital with bleeding heads after suffering the beating by assailants.

The student hostel secretaries did not approve of the non-vegetarian ban on Sunday which the ABVP workers made by influencing the Cauvery hostel warden. The secretaries asked the supplier to bring the chicken as usual. However, the ABVP men threatened and chased away the distributor who came in the afternoon, and they proceeded with the pooja on the campus which ended at 6 p.m.

It was after this that the ABVP confronted the students with weapons at night in front of the Kaveri hostel, including the leaders of the Left student organizations who challenged the ban on meat. Dolan Samantha, an injured left-wing student leader, said an ABVP activist attacked them with a tube light and caused physical injuries to his arm and also language abusing femininity.

Aisha Ghosh, president of the JNU Students' Union, said that despite several calls to the Delhi Police and JNU authorities, they did not take any action to stop the attack by the ABVP workers.

The JNU student union accused ABVP activists of creating an atmosphere of violence in the Kaveri hostel with hate politics and divisive agenda. The union said the menu at the JNU hostels included vegetarian and non-vegetarian food and students had the option to choose either. The students marched to the police station demanding registration of an FIR against the ABVP attackers.

Meanwhile, the ABVP has come out explaining that blocking the Ram Navami Puja was the cause of the clash.

Police said the FIR has been registered based on a complaint filed by members of JNUSU, SFI, DSF and AISA early this morning against unknown ABVP students.

The FIR has been registered under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. "Further probe is on to collect evidence and identify culprits," officials said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said that ABVP members have intimated that they will also be filing a complaint today. "On receipt of the same necessary appropriate legal action will be taken, he added.

Both sides have accused each other of throwing stones and injuring their members. After the violence, the JNUSU and ABVP students took out separate marches inside the university campus to protest against the clash.

Police said they rushed to the campus with their teams soon after receiving the PCR call and ensured no further escalation of violence. The injured students were then taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, officials said.

(With inputs from IANS and our Delhi correspondent)