BJP’s student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad has said that it doesn’t endorse violence on college campuses. Said Nagesh Thakur, ABVP’s national president, to THE WEEK, “The ABVP never believes in violence. Our opponents are purposely trying to malign us.”
Last week, a seminar organised by Ramjas College in Delhi University was disrupted by the ABVP members as they didn’t want Umar Khalid, a JNU student facing charges of sedition, to be invited as a speaker. The organising committee decided to cancel the event because of the threats by the ABVP. But, a day later, scuffle broke out between the police and the students of the ABVP and the left-wing student organisation, All India Students’ Association. Later, separate marches were taken out by the ABVP and the AISA.
Gurmehar Kaur, student of Delhi University’s Lady Shri Ram College, took a stand against the violence at Ramjas College, which she alleged was caused by the members of the ABVP. Kaur, the daughter of Kargil martyr Captain Mandeep Singh, in a video, holds placards reading, “I am a student from Delhi University. I am not afraid of the ABVP…. Pakistan did not kill my father, war did.” This caused an outcry in the country with people supporting and opposing Kaur. She complained of receiving death and rape threats. The police are investigating the matter. Said Thakur, “To say that the ABVP is involved in these threats is wrong. It is a conspiracy to damage the image of the ABVP. It is not our job to issue rape threats. We want action against people who issued such threats to Kaur.”
Thakur said that no person in the country should indulge in anti-national activities.
Meanwhile, Kaur withdrew from her campaign against the ABVP. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that a fake account was created to send threat messages to Kaur and action would be taken against people involved.
Two ABVP members, Prashant Mishra and Vinayak Sharma, arrested for allegedly trying to strangulate two AISA members in Delhi University’s north campus, were suspended on March 1 from the ABVP for act of indiscipline.
