Violence on university campuses should be avoided: UGC chairman Jagadesh Kumar

NEW DELHI: Violence of any kind on university campuses should be avoided, UGC Chairman Jagadesh Kumar said on Tuesday, referring to the recent clash between two students group at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) here. The violence took place at the university's Kaveri Hostel on Sunday allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami in its mess, with police saying 20 students were injured in the clash. "Any kind of violence on university campuses should be avoided," Kumar said at a press conference in response to a question about the JNU incident.

The two students groups on Monday lodged police complaints against each other, while JNU authorities claimed the violence occurred after some students objected to a 'hawan', an assertion also made by RSS-affiliate ABVP Kumar who was JNU vice chancellor before holding the top post at the UGC, said, "every university has standard procedures in place to act in cases of violence on campus and conduct proctorial enquiries".

Also Read | UGC allows students to pursue two academic programmes simultaneously

Earlier, in the day the Ministry of Education sought a report from JNU on the issue. The university's administration has warned students of disciplinary action if they are found indulging in any kind of violence on campus.

Meanwhile, Afzal Ahmed, who has been delivering meat to it for nearly three decades claimed that some JNU students called and said chicken should not be supplied to the university's Kaveri Hostel mess on Ram Navami. Ahmed told PTI that the callers were students of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and he knew them. "It has never happened that I have been asked not to supply meat (at hostels) as there is a festival being celebrated," he said. Left-leaning student bodies and the Left-led JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) have alleged that ABVP members stopped the mess vendor from supplying chicken and attacked him on April 10 afternoon.

Also Read | Jamia Millia Islamia students to protest against JNU violence

However, the right-wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) denied the charge, asserting that "Leftists" obstructed a puja organised at the hostel on Ram Navami and were using diversionary tactics by raising the issue of serving of non-vegetarian food.