NSUI, ABVP clash in Pune ahead of LoP Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event

Pune: A violent midnight clash erupted between the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in the hostel premises of the College of Engineering Pune (COEP). The incident occurred ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled student interaction event, titled ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj.’

Police sources said that they resorted to a lathicharge to control the situation. Following a complaint filed by ABVP members, the Shivajinagar Police registered cases against 50 to 60 individuals, including six named NSUI and Youth Congress activists.

The tension escalated over student registrations for Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi’s upcoming event.

NSUI activists had been visiting various college campuses to encourage student participation. However, representatives from NSUI alleged that ABVP members threatened and confined two female students inside the hostel premises for supporting the event.

NSUI and Youth Congress members stated they entered the campus to free the students, after which police charged at them with batons.

The ABVP claimed that members of the NSUI and Youth Congress were forcefully pressuring the hostellers to register and attend the event, leading to the conflict.

Following the clash, several injured activists were taken to Sancheti Hospital for medical treatment.

Congress Legislative Party leader, Vijay Wadettiwar, and other party representatives arrived at the COEP campus at midnight, staging a dharna against the police action. Heavy police deployment has been placed around the campus and hostel areas.

Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat condemned the police baton charge and the ABVP’s alleged actions, stating that attempts to suppress the voices of students through force would not succeed. He also visited the injured party workers in the hospital.

LoP Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ program is scheduled to cover student-centric issues such as paper leaks, unemployment, and the national education system, keeping political tensions high across the city, he noted.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “Those who attempt to intimidate the students’ program through thuggery should remember that the Congress fights along the path of peace and non-violence; but it never retreats from raising its voice against injustice.”

“Seeing the tremendous response to ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’, the ground beneath the feet of others has shifted like sand. As a result, efforts are underway to tarnish the program. However, the enthusiasm of the female students and their faith in Rahul Gandhi will not diminish due to any conspiracy,” he remarked.

He further stated, “Pune is the city of Savitribai Phule. This city has seen the mentality of stopping girls from education in the past too, and it has defeated it as well. If today there is again an attempt to suppress the voice of girls, then Pune will give it a response.”

Meanwhile, state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief spokesperson, Navnath Ban, alleged that ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ in Pune, is not a spontaneous student gathering but a funded campaign. Terming it a paid political program rather than a genuine youth outreach, he alleged that crores of rupees are being spent to ‘manufacture’ a crowd.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Navnath Ban presented video clips that he alleged exposed the Congress’ “paid crowd model.”

Ban alleged that video evidence shows social media influencers being offered Rs 30,000 to Rs 35,000 each to attend the event, promote the program online, adding that a total expenditure will be to the tune of Rs 9 crore which is aimed at ‘relaunching’ Rahul Gandhi politically.

IANS