The Himachal Pradesh University unit of Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has demanded a prompt disciplinary action against Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists for allegedly attacking and injuring SFI activists a few days ago during a clash between the two student bodies.
A delegation of SFI met Pro-Vice Chancellor Rajinder Verma on Saturday and submitted a memorandum regarding their demand to the VC through the Pro-VC.
SFI campus president Ankush Rana said on March 11, when the SFI activists were having breakfast behind the administrative block of the university, the ABVP activists attacked them with sharp weapons without any provocation. As a result of this ruthless attack, five students were severely injured, one of whom is still hospitalised.
“It is also important to note that these are the same activists who were involved in stone-pelting at the Ram Krishna Mission Ashram a few months ago and were responsible for instigating communal tensions during the Sanjauli Mosque controversy in Shimla,” he claimed.
“Despite three days having passed since this brutal attack, the university administration has not taken any disciplinary action against these activists. We demand the VC to take immediate and strict disciplinary action against these anti-social individuals so that justice can be served to those injured and the academic and student-friendly atmosphere of the university can be restored,” said Rana.
He further stated that the SFI strongly condemned the violence being carried out by organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ABVP across the country.
“If the university administration does not take prompt action against all the accused involved in the incident, the SFI will mobilise the student community and launch a major movement against the administration’s negligent attitude, for which the university administration will be solely responsible,” he concluded.
ABVP accuses police of taking one-sided action
Several ABVP activists staged a protest across the state on Saturday against the recent violence that took place in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) between the ABVP and the SFI, accusing the police of taking one-sided action against the ABVP activists.
During the protest held outside the DC’s office in Shimla, Nancy Atal, state secretary of the ABVP, said the police was only taking action against the ABVP workers while the SFI activists continued to roam freely on the university premises. She said the SFI activists were making inappropriate comments against female ABVP activists.
She said the SFI was an anti-national student organisation, and its activists have no other job than making inappropriate remarks at the female activists of other student organisations in the university.
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