ABVP blames Left for violence in Delhi’s JNU

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has blamed the Left for the violence in Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

In a press conference on Monday at the university campus, the ABVP claimed that at least 25 of its activists were injured, while another 10 activists were missing, ever since the attack.

ABVP’s JNU wing leader Lalit claimed: “Sabarmati hostel was attacked. Entire violence is to stop students from registering in new semester.”

Referring to a purported video which was earlier tweeted by the ABVP, he asked: “What will Aishe (JNUSU President) say about her leading goons to the Periyar hostel, which was vandalised soon after?”

Manish Jagid, whose left arm was fractured in Sunday’s violence too alleged that left aligned students came into the Periyar hostel on Sunday and started shouting “Kahan hai Manish?” Manish was the ABVP presidential candidate at JNU in 2019.

Meanwhile, ABVP activist Nidhi Triptahi saw a “pre-planned approach” to Sunday’s violence. She said: “Yesterday’s violence was a planned one. Why nothing like this occurred before 5th of January. It did on 5th because Jamia was set to open.” She added: “The strategist behind this act wanted to trigger another spell in Jamia.”

Incidentally, the Jamia Millia Islamia was closed on December 16 after protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act turned violent on December 15. It had also cancelled the examinations and declared vacation till January 5.

Tripathi has also attacked the Delhi Police for reaching the campus late.

Replying to the Left’s allegation that the violence was orchestrated by the ABVP, she retorted: “People of Left have ABVP phobia. If they can, they would have also blamed us for attack on the US.”

On Sunday, several masked individuals thrashed students and teachers inside the campus here with wooden and metal rods. A number of students were admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) with severe injuries.

The Left and the ABVP have blamed each other for the attack.