ABVP students, JNU staff clash over fellowship funds

Students from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and members of the security staff at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) clashed on Monday afternoon over the demand for scholarships.

As per the reports, over half a dozen students suffered injuries in the clash which took place on Monday afternoon. Initial report from a right-wing leaning Hindi daily quoted students as saying that the security guards at the university abused and assaulted them. There is no official confirmation yet about the assault.

President of the saffron party’s student wing chief at JNU, Rohit Kumar, said that the students were only asking for scholarship funds at the enquiry counter when they were assaulted by the security guards deployed there. The students blamed the administration for provocation and assault. Kumar was also injured in the incident.

According to an India Today report, the students alleged that their scholarships had been stalled for the past two years and they went to the JNU administration demanding the release of the funds, but were beaten up by the staff and guards there. It further stated that people on both sides have been hurt and, so far, the Delhi Police has not received a complaint.

The right-wing student group tweet said that the security staff did not even spare girls and those with special needs. “Many students have been seriously injured and the fellowship section is red with students’ blood,” said the ABVP tweet. – IANS