ABVP, Left-backed groups clash at JNU over poll committee selection

Some students of Jawaharlal Nehru University were injured in a clash between two groups over the selection of election committee members, following which Vice-Chancellor Santishree D Pandit on Friday said strict action will be taken against those involved irrespective of their political affiliation.The violence occurred in the university's School of Languages building late on Thursday night. Very strict action will be taken against those found guilty irrespective of their political affiliation," she told PTI.The vice-chancellor also said once the medicolegal cases of students severely injured in the violence are done, the authority concerned will prepare a report and take appropriate action.Pandit warned the students that any act of violence on campus may lead to deferring the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union polls further.A video clip of the incident showed a man thrashing students with a stick while in another, a person is seen throwing a bicycle at students. Other videos also purportedly showed individuals being mobbed and beaten up by a group while security personnel of the university tried to rescue them.The ABVP told PTI that two students seen in one of the videos beating others with a stick and throwing a bicycle were members of its JNU unit and claimed that they were trying to defend themselves.On the other hand, Left-backed groups alleged that ABVP members, disgruntled by the selection of the election committee members, attacked JNUSU office bearers and other students.JNUSU Joint Secretary Mohammad Danish, who was presiding the School General Body Meeting along with JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh, claimed that he received threats to his life from ABVP members because of his religious identity.He also alleged that he was held hostage during the meeting. Initially attempting to disrupt the selection process for the election committee, the ABVP resorted to violence against students when thwarted by JNU students," the Left-backed All India Students Association claimed in a statement.