War of words after JNU security, ABVP members’ campus clash

The student wing of the RSS said they had gathered at office of the finance officer around 11am to protest the delay in the release of research fellowship and scholarships. Around 2pm, a scuffle broke out between the students and security guards who tried to remove them, the outfit said

Clashes broke out on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Monday after security guards tried to break up a protest led by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) demanding the release of scholarship funds. While ABVP said around 15 students were injured in the violence, the JNU administration said two guards sustained serious injuries and were “bleeding profusely”.

Police said they have received a complaint from the ABVP and are taking stock of the guards’ injuries as well. Action will be taken after a thorough probe, they said. (HT Photo)

Police said they have received a complaint from the ABVP and are taking stock of the guards’ injuries as well. Action will be taken after a thorough probe, they said.

Blaming the administration for the provocation and violence, ABVP alleged that students were beaten up at the behest of JNU rector Ajay Kumar Dubey.

The student wing of the RSS said they had gathered at office of the finance officer around 11am to protest the delay in the release of research fellowship and scholarships. Around 2pm, a scuffle broke out between the students and security guards who tried to remove them, the outfit said.

“Today, when the students reached the admin block to raise the demand for fellowship, the staff working there refused to listen to them and made them leave the premises. When students approached the finance officer with their demands, the officer misbehaved with them,” the ABVP said.

“All limits were crossed when the JNU administration launched a violent attack on students to suppress the scholarship scam. Students were badly beaten up by the security staff on the orders of the administration. Students were attacked at the behest of JNU rector Ajay Dubey. The rector is angry that ABVP activists had two days ago exposed the fact that he was running two illegal NGOs from his JNU address,” said ABVP.

Rohit Kumar, ABVP JNU unit president, said, “This is a black day. Such an attack on students is unprecedented. The rector is rattled because we highlighted the fact that he was running two illegal NGOs from the campus,” alleged Kumar.

Rector Dubey did not respond to the allegations despite repeated calls and messages.

Monday’s altercation is the latest among a series of standoffs between ABVP and the JNU administration. On August 11, ABVP members had staged a protest outside the dean of student’s residence after failing to get any redressal from the administration over the issue of water supply at the Mahi Mandvi hostel. On August 19, ABVP laid siege to rector Ajay Dubey and sought his response to concerns pertaining to hostel renovation, fellowship and corruption charges.

In a statement, JNU students’ union said the violence that unfolded on the campus on Monday was led by ABVP. It also criticised the administration for its failure to address concerns such as irregular fellowship disbursement and crumbling infrastructure, besides other issues.

“The assault on guards and misplacing of files at the scholarship section is nothing but a step towards strengthening the non-compliant attitude of the JNU administration. ABVP time and again have used violence as a tool to create a ruckus within campus spaces rather than taking up democratic deliberation of issues,” said JNUSU.

DCP (south-west) Manoj C said the police have received complaints from the ABVP. “A few JNU students were demanding the distribution of scholarships that have remained pending since the past two years. Students staged a protest at the administration office and the guards tried to remove them. A scuffle broke out. We have received complaints from the ABVP and we are also receiving medical examination reports of the security guards. We are examining the matter and legal action will be taken accordingly,” said Manoj.

In a written statement, JNU registrar Ravikesh said around 15 students barged into the Students’ and Project Section of the university on Monday and confined the staff, including women, to their seats and restricted the ingress/egress of people.

He added that officers appealed to the students to allow the staff to leave for their lunch break but students did not relent. “Some staffers called the police as some of them developed serious health issues under confinement and mistreatment. Police personnel were present in their vehicle outside the building. But as the situation was getting serious, the university was left with no other option but to ask the unarmed security staff, not the police, to get the staff released. The moment these unarmed security guards tried to enter the section, the students started attacking them with chairs and smashing the glass panes,” said the registrar.

“Two security guards were beaten mercilessly by these students and these guards were bleeding profusely,” said the registrar, adding that the administration will take strict action against the guilty students as per rules.