Two groups of students fought in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus in Delhi, allegedly over meat being served in the hostel canteen at the event of Ram Navami.
JNU violence
According to reports, 16 students were injured in the incident that took place at the Kaveri hostel at 3:30 in the afternoon.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union (JNUSU) has alleged that the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members attacked the mess secretary and stopped the staff from serving meat dishes in the hostel.
Trouble in JNU over Non-Veg food
– ABVP stops residents in JNU hostel from having non Veg food
– ABVP allegedly assaulted the mess secretary. pic.twitter.com/dwHBuCANWG
— Ashutosh Jha (@ashu3010) April 10, 2022
“Every Sunday, both non-vegetarian and vegetarian food is cooked in all hostels. This is the usual practice. ABVP students were having some event near Kaveri Hostel and when the vendor came to deliver chicken, they stopped him. They harassed and heckled both him and the mess secretary, saying that a havan is being held and non-vegetarian food can’t be cooked,” claimed Anagha Pradeep, councilor of the JNU Students’ Union (JNUSU).
Hindu festivals in the hostel
Opposing it, the ABVP, claimed that Members of left organizations tried to stop a Pooja from being organized in the hostel.
“We have no objection to non-veg. We had Iftaar and puja at the same time in the same hostel. The Left parties have a problem with Hindu festivals being celebrated. They’re trying to introduce a political agenda,” said, ABVP JNU president Rohit Kumar
“There are several hostels in JNU where the chicken was made yesterday…We have hostels that have ABVP mess secretaries. Those hostels served non-veg yesterday,” he adds.
Watch: ABVP press briefing over the violence in JNU over non-veg food on Ram Navami.
“Muslim students or Hindu students had no issues. The whole issue was for communists and Leftists. We were attacked with glass bottles and sticks”, says ABVP #RamNavamiClash pic.twitter.com/NLzOGY0ANN
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) April 11, 2022
Alleging conspiracy, Rohit Kumar said, “We received threats a day before Ram Navami: ‘We would throw bones into your Ram Navami puja’. There was a conspiracy to spoil the puja celebrations. They [Left-wing students] sent a fake notice to stop the celebration.”
Both sides have accused each other of pelting stones and injuring their members. Meanwhile, the police have been called to the campus.
“There is no violence as of now. A protest was held which is over. We are all positioned here with our team. At the request of the university, we have come here. We are trying to maintain peace,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C.
