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Mayhem at midnight on JNU campus

NEW DELHI: The most-awaited event of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union elections here -- the presidential debate – ended abruptly in the wee hours of Thursday after Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists ransacked the Jhelum lawns venue protesting against “derogatory comments” made by a presidential candidate against Lord Ram.

Around midnight, after all the contenders for the JNUSU president’s post had delivered their speeches and their cross-questioning had just begun, ABVP candidate Amit Singh asked the Bahujan Students’ Front candidate Raghunath Prasad Saket whether his organisation was ashamed of bringing out a pamphlet that contained disparaging comments about Lord Ram. All hell broke loose after Raghunath allegedly made some more “offensive remarks” against the Hindu god.

ABVP activists allegedly hurled bottles, slippers and stones all round and uprooted the tent, leading to a pandemonium, and the police had to be called in. The presidential candidate of Youth for Equality, Babita Sharma, was injured and had to be rushed to the AIIMS. Some security personnel also sustained minor injuries.

“He hurt the religious sentiments of not just ABVP but all Hindus. It is a shame that the so-called secular parties did not protest. What followed his remark was justified. The students could not take this insult to Lord Ram. Had anything been said against any Muslim prophet or B. R. Ambedkar, it would have resulted in the same reaction,” said Amit Singh on Thursday, adding, “If standing up for Lord Ram makes us communal, then so be it.”

In the midnight melee on the campus, some ABVP activists allegedly chased the outgoing JNUSU president Dhananjay Tripathi and beat him up before other students could intervene.

“I was talking to election committee members when some ABVP activists started abusing me. Even if they had to protest, there is a certain way of doing it. In my past eight years on the campus this is the first time I have seen stones being pelted at committee members,” said Dhananjay. The ABVP, in turn, wrote to the election committee accusing Dhananjay of inciting trouble with his “provocative comments”. Other parties like Youth for Equality and the National Students’ Union of India have condemned both the ABVP and the Bahujan Students’ Front for creating pandemonium during the debate.

“Raghunath should have behaved like a responsible leader. His comments were unwarranted. But then the ABVP also should have exercised restraint. Such behaviour is deplorable and against JNU’s democratic traditions. The committee should reject the presidential candidature of both parties,” said Prakash Chandra Dash of Youth for Equality.

There were also murmurs of disappointment over the way the election committee handled the situation.

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