Fight erupts between ABVP, JNU students' union over Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj portrait's vandalism

A fresh controversy has erupted in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) after RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad accused the Left-backed student outfits of vandalising Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's portrait on his birth anniversary on Sunday evening while the JNU Students' Union claimed that ABVP activists attacked some students after a march seeking justice for IIT Bombay student Darshan Solanki, who allegedly died by suicide recently. However, the ABVP has denied the charge.

The ABVP shared images of the portrait and also condemned the incident. According to the tweet by ABVP, the ABVP paid tributes to Veer Shivaji today, but Maoists vandalised the picture, which students put up. The ABVP also condemned the 'vandalism' of photos of Veer Shivaji by anti-national elements and the 'constant vandalism by the left.'

JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) claimed that ABVP activists attacked some students following a march calling for justice for an IIT Bombay student, Darshan Solanki, who allegedly died by suicide.

The JNUSU had organised a march seeking justice for the 18-year-old student who allegedly died by suicide on February 12 by jumping from the seventh floor of a hostel building on the Powai campus of the IIT. His family suspected foul play and claimed he faced discrimination because he belonged to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.

In its statement, JNUSU claimed, "ABVP has once again resorted to attacking students... This was done shortly after a candlelight march in support of Darshan Solanki's father's call... The ABVP does it again to derail the anti-caste discrimination movement."

However, ABVP has denied the charge and accused the Left of removing and discarding a garland from a picture of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. ABVP, in its statement, said that the students on the Left came there immediately after the programme, removed the garland from the picture, and threw it away.

The ABVP also protested, accusing the left-wing workers of 'insulting' Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The portrait was allegedly vandalised after it was hung on the walls of the student activity centre on Sunday.

The Secretary of the ABVP urged the JNU administration to take strict action against the accused and prevent miscreants from disrupting the university atmosphere. He also demanded that 'illegal students' be barred from entering campus, causing a nuisance while bringing a 'bad name' to the university.

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