JNUSU Polls: ABVP accuses left-led students' union of Corruption; AISA hits back over admin nexus

NEW DELHI: The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), on Friday, criticised the Left-led Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU), accusing it of corruption, inaction and failure to defend student interests. Responding to the allegations, the All India Students' Association (AISA), accused the ABVP of "shielding" the university administration and acting in tandem with it.

The exchange comes as campaigning begins for the upcoming JNUSU elections, with polling scheduled for November 4 and results to be declared on November 6. In a statement titled, "Seven major failures of Left-led JNUSU," the ABVP accused the students' union of failing to resist "anti-student" measures on campus. "The anti-student CPO (proctorial) manual was implemented without any strong opposition from the JNUSU,” the statement said.

The ABVP claimed restrictions were imposed on protesting within 100 metres of the JNU administration block and the Inter Hall Administration office without effective resistance from the students’ union. It further alleged corruption worth Rs 56 crore in hostel and building renovations and irregularities in the construction of Barak Hostel.

AISA blames ABVP for campus deterioration

"Students in JNU are struggling to get even the basic facilities, and are merely surviving," the statement added. Responding to the charges, AISA claimed the ABVP was complicit in the deterioration of the campus. "It seems the JNUSU has to consistently remind the ABVP that it is directly related to the ruling regime at the Centre, with whom even the JNU vice-chancellor is ideologically affiliated," the organisation said in a statement.

The Leftist students' organisation accused the ABVP of supporting the administration’s policies, which, it claimed, were eroding JNU’s democratic and academic culture. "The JNU admin-ABVP nexus goes back a long way. The vice-chancellor implements policies that destroy JNU, and ABVP supports her by attacking JNUSU, which is fighting to preserve the campus,” it said.

The organisation also questioned the role of ABVP's Vaibhav Meena (JNUSU's joint secretary), saying that instead of raising student issues, he is sold out to corporate entities. "When the JNUSU president, along with students, sat on a hunger strike for 16 days, where was the ABVP and their elected joint secretary?" the statement read. In another statement, the ABVP said it had launched a "class campaign across schools" to highlight the "real issues ignored by the Left-led JNUSU for decades."