ABVP and AISA Clash in Delhi University over Umar Khalid’s invitation
New Delhi, Feb 22: Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and All India Students Association activists from Delhi University clashed on Wednesday, a day after JNU student Umar Khalid’s visit to Ramjas College was blocked by protesting students.
The Quint reporter Taruni Kumar was manhandled and injured by the protesters outside Ramjas college as she tried to capture the violent clashes on a Facebook Live.
“People from the ABVP are not allowing students who had come to attend a protest march to leave the college,”
Kawalpreet Kaur, President of AISA Delhi University unit.
ABVP activists were staging a protest in the college on Wednesday as well which led to a clash between them and AISA members. Both ABVP and AISA are student political groups representing opposite ideological stands.
Police protecting the right-wing ABVP: Shehla Rashid:
Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Student Union Vice-president Shehla Rashid, who was invited to speak at Ramjas College along with Umar Khalid, told CNN-News18 that ABVP “goons” were pelting stones while the police remained silent. She further claimed that police is “protecting” the right-wing ABVP.
A statement issued by AISA on Wednesday claimed that Ramjas students were threatened and assaulted.
Umar Khalid and former JNUSU vice president Shehla Rashid were invited to speak at a seminar in Ramjas College on Tuesday but their visit was cancelled after ABVP and DUSU members gathered outside the college gate and shouted slogans against them.
Umar Khalid was supposed to speak on ‘The War in Adivasi areas’ which happens to be his PhD subject as well, while Shehla’s session was scheduled today.
“I was on my way to Ramjas College when I was told the event was disrupted by the ABVP. Organisers told me to come from a different route but I still could not make it,”
Umar Khalid told IANS on Wednesday.
There were also allegations of the protesters using violent methods like stone pelting. On Wednesday, the protesters also clashed with police personnel deployed at the scene.
Umar Khalid was among JNU students who were charged with sedition after January 9 episode last year in which a group of students were seen shouting anti-India slogans in mobile footages.
Khalid was then absconding for a long time before appearing again to address the students at University.
The other invitee, Shehla Rashid, according to Huffington Post,was a former JNU students’ union member who was instrumental in the movement against the student’s’ arrest.
