Clash breaks out at JNU over Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam's ‘depiction’ as Ravan on Dussehra
JNU students Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam have been imprisoned since 2020 for allegedly being the ‘masterminds’ of the 2020 Delhi riots
A brawl broke out between two groups of students on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus on Thursday, Dussehra, during the 'Visarjan Shobha Yatra'.
JNUSU President Nitish Kumar said that earlier in the day a poster about Ravan Dahan – depicting jailed students Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, who are currently under trial – as Ravan, had been circulated. Students from other groups had been protesting against the same, at the Sabarmati T-Point of the varsity, when ABVP's Durga Visarjan procession erupted into chaos.
‘Violent attacks,’ ‘slippers’ waved
The ABVP said Left groups, including the AISA, SFI and DSF, "violently attacked" the immersion procession near the Sabarmati T-Point around 7 pm, claiming that several male and female students were injured in stone-pelting and abused, reported news wire PTI, citing a statement by the party.
Meanwhile, JNUSU President Nitish Kumar said that the ABVP group stopped their DJ at the tea point for half an hour and raised slogans of "Jai Sri Ram" and “Yogi ji's bulldozer justice there” after which they started “waving slippers.”
The Left-affiliated All India Students' Association (AISA) also rejected ABVP's charges and instead, accused the party of "using religion for political propaganda".
What are the charges against Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam?
Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and several others were charged under the UAPA along with sections of the former Indian Penal Code for allegedly being “masterminds” of the 2020 Delhi riots, which resulted in 53 deaths and over 700 injuries.
The violence broke out amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Last week, the Supreme Court issued a notice to Delhi Police seeking their response to the bail pleas of Khalid, Imam and others.
The accused, who have denied all charges, have been imprisoned since 2020 and appealed to the high court after a trial court denied their bail requests.