Clash in JNU: ABVP ‘Beat up’ Left Students, Mess Employees; 'Object' to Having Non-Veg Food on Ram Navami
Image credit: AISA
New Delhi: A brawl broke out on Sunday in the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi after a few Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) members allegedly objected to non-vegetarian food being served in Kaveri hostel on the day of Ram Navami.
The All India Students Association (AISA) took to Twitter and said that the ABVP “goons” beat up the Kaveri hostel mess secretary at around 4 o’ clock today. It also said that many of its members have been wounded severely.
The JNU Students’ Union, said in a statement, “In complete display of their politics of hatred and divisive agenda, the ABVP goons have created a violent atmosphere in Kaveri hostel today. They are forcing and attacking the mess committee to change the dinner menu and exclude the usual non vegetarian items in it for all students. The menu has food items for both vegetarian and non vegetarian students who can consume it based on their personal choice. But, ABVP is using muscle power and its goondaism to create a complete ruckus and reinforce their Brahamanical hegemonization ideals by manhandling the staff and asking to not prepare any non-vegetarian items.”
According to an India Today report, the union further alleged that ABVP students forced the mess committee to change the dinner menu and attacked the Left-leaning students and those associated with the mess.
“The menu has both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. Students can eat the food of their choice. But the ABVP workers created a ruckus by committing hooliganism. Along with this, the employees of the mess were also beaten up. ABVP workers pressurised the mess employees not to cook non-vegetarian food," the union was quoted as saying by the report.
Meanwhile, the ABVP has claimed that the Left students tried to “disrupt” the prayer rituals organised by the former on the occasion of Ram Navami.
Following this controversy, according to the India Today report, the university has issued a notice saying that there is no restriction on the consumption of non-vegetarian food in the campus mess. There is no prohibition from the university administration, it added.
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