India

ABVP members attack JNUSU president Balaji, police refuses to register FIR 

Members of the RSS and BJP-affiliated student organisation ABVP attacked newly elected JNUSU president N Sai Balaji despite enhanced security measures and deployment of CRPF

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Social Media ABVP leader Saurabh Sharma meeting the Prime Minister

Members of the RSS and BJP-affiliated student organisation ABVP attacked the newly elected Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) president N Sai Balaji on Sunday, hours after the JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) poll results were announced.

Balaji reported the incident at the Vasant Kunj police station and tried to file an FIR but the police refused, alleged Balaji. He said that even inside the police station RSS-ABVP workers threatened to kill him.

Disappointed with the response of the Delhi police, Balaji returned to the JNU campus. A united front of Left student groups won all four central panel posts in the union defeating the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) by considerable margins on Sunday.

Balaji alleged that ABVP members were roughing up an All India Students' Association (AISA) member and when “A couple of students and I intervened, we were assaulted”.

Balaji claimed that the ABVP members even attacked students when a Police Control Room (PCR) vehicle was taking them away from the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus.

“Today ABVP students randomly attacked students. I was called to the scene at Sutlej. As the elected JNUSU President, I went to ensure Pawan Meena's safety who was attacked by ABVP students with sticks. Upon reaching, what I saw was mayhem. The mob led by Saurabh Sharma was baiting for the blood of any student they thought was a friend of Pawan Meena and were attacking students with sticks. They openly threatened me, Geeta and other students present there with dire consequences if we intervened to stop the violence. The group now turned into a mob and  started attacking Abhinay, a former JNU student in Jhelum and chased him and almost lynched him on the lawns. I ran with other students to save Abhinay, who had, by then, fallen unconscious after the beating and took him to the ambulance and sent him for medical aid,” said Balaji in a statement.

Former JNUSU vice president, Shehla Rashid posted a video of the scuffle on Twitter.

Published: 17 Sep 2018, 2:36 PM IST

However, the ABVP claimed that their members were roughed up by AISA activists. The ABVP and the AISA have both filed complaints at the Vasant Kunj police station. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Devender Arya said the situation is under control.

However, Ranjani Mazumdar, a professor in the School of Arts and Aesthetics, said that ABVP and RSS members had gathered outside the police station and were threatening to kill Balaji the moment he stepped out.

"The PCR got calls about a scuffle between students in JNU around 3 am. Subsequently, we had a discussion with university authorities, students and professors.

"Complaints have been received in Vasant Kunj (North) police station. Legal action is being taken on merit. The situation is under control and normal. Police arrangements are in place," he said.

Read the full text of the complaint here:

Published: 17 Sep 2018, 2:36 PM IST

Balaji of AISA bagged 2,161 votes in the JNUSU polls Sunday. He defeated ABVP candidate Lalit Pandey by a margin of 1,179 votes.

The Left-backed AISA, Students' Federation of India (SFI), Democratic Students' Federation (DSF) and All India Students' Federation (AISF) came together to form the 'United Left' alliance.

Published: 17 Sep 2018, 2:36 PM IST

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Published: 17 Sep 2018, 2:36 PM IST