20 AISA members detained for protesting about JNU scuffle over non-veg food

NEW DELHI: Twenty members of the All India Students Association (AISA) were detained by police for protesting outside Sardar Patel Bhawan, against the scuffle that broke out between two groups in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Scores of JNU students affiliated to the AISA staged a protest near Delhi Police headquarters here on Monday and demanded the arrest of ABVP activists for their alleged role in the violence at the university.

Also read | JNU Attack: JNUSU, ABVP take out separate protest marches

The students' group informed that the AISA activists who came to protest at Delhi Police Headquarters have been “violently detained”. “Women protesters were manhandled by male personnel, their clothes pulled. Several have been injured by the Delhi Police. We have been detained inside Tughlaq Road Police Station,” they said.

They further asked, “Where was this police when ABVP barged into JNU and attacked students? Where was Delhi Police when anti Muslim slogans were taking place in Burari? Where was this Delhi Police when ABVP attacked AISA activists in DU?”

Also read | 'Unfortunate': Delhi home minister Satyendar Jain on clash of students at JNU hostel

After a scuffle broke out between the two students’ groups, “Hundreds of JNU students marched against ABVP's hooliganism in JNU. The gherao of Vasant Kunj Police Station Delhi continues. Attack on the freedom to eat and wear will not work. Delhi Police will have to take action against Sanghi goons,” the AISA said.

JNU में Abvp की गुंडागर्दी के खिलाफ जेएनयू के सैंकड़ों स्टूडेंट्स का मार्च । वसंत कुंज पुलिस स्टेशन दिल्ली का घेराव जारी हैं।

खाने- पहनने की आजादी पर हमला नहीं चलेगा।

संघी गुंडे पर दिल्ली पुलिस को करवाई करना होगा।#SOSJNU #JNU #FoodFascism #aisa pic.twitter.com/VfMI2YDKER

— AISA (@AISA_tweets) April 10, 2022

AISA national president and JNUSU President 2018-19, N Sai Balaji said, “ABVP hooligans stopping Kaveri hostel residents having non Veg food for dinner. Will JNU VC condemn ABVP hooliganism? Is it her vision to curtail students choice of food? ABVP assualted the mess secretary. Time to stand against these vandals. The idea of India is under attack.”

ABVP hooligans stopping Kaveri hostel residents having non Veg food for dinner.

Will JNU VC condemn ABVP hooliganism? Is it her vision to curtail students choice of food?

ABVP assualted the mess secretary. Time to stand against these vandals. The idea of India is under attack pic.twitter.com/pD978TKbyh

— N Sai Balaji | ఎన్ సాయి బాలాజీ (@nsaibalaji) April 10, 2022

Meanwhile, the JNU administration in a press released said, “The Wardens clarified on the spot and issued a notice when the ruckus was going on among students that there was no bar on serving non-vegetarian food. The warden issued a notice calling for peace and clarifying issued. The JNU administration immediately swung into action. Later in the night, JNU Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit visited Kaveri Hostel and took stock of the situation.”

Two groups of students clashed at the JNU's Kaveri Hostel on Sunday allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami in the mess, with police saying six students were injured in the violence.